Quote:
Originally Posted by just another ref
You realize that the whistle is not the key, right? I believe that simultaneous possession is not a term that can be found in the books, but rather when opponents have such a firm grasp on the ball that it cannot be pulled away without using excessive force. (or something like that) When this occurs, the ball is dead, regardless of when the whistle blows. A timeout or a travel would have to occur before this point.
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Exactly right. As BB Rules Fundamental #16 states, "The official's whistle seldom causes the ball to become dead (it is already dead)." So if the ball is tied up, your whistle is merely a marker for an event that has already made the ball dead.
Can a player travel during a dead ball? No. Can a coach call a timeout during a dead ball? Yes, but common sense says the reason he/she screamed "time out" was in the hopes that player control still existed before the held ball. So to respond to the coach who says, "I was calling time out!!!", all you have to say is, "Coach, the ball was already tied up. That said, would you still like a timeout?" Nine times out of ten they'll decline.
If you hear the TO request while the train is coming off the tracks but need to glance in the direction of the bench to confirm it, and while that happens your partner whistles a held ball, I'd immediately go tell your partner that you believe the time out was called prior to the held ball. If you agree, grant the timeout and ignore the held ball.