Requesting timeout on layup situation???

[Shane O]

Tied game last night with less than 30 seconds to go. Visiting team is passing around perimeter and gets the ball into their big man. I'm L up by the coach. The player is down on the opposite block. There is a taller defender on him but he has a wider body. The player goes up off of two feet and at exactly the point he is taking off to put the ball off the glass the coach is yelling for a TO. By the time I see and register everything in my head the player is in mid air.

Do you grant the TO in this situation?

I didn't and as you could imagine, the kid missed the layup. Home team gets rebound and brings up ball to half court calls a timeout with 15 secs left. Other coach still complaining on not getting TO granted. Home teams runs clock, one of the guards brings ball into the lane throws up a wild underhand shot that goes high off the board and rattles in with no time left on clock for the win, LOL.

Neither of my partners thought it would have been right to grant the TO but I couldn't help but thinking that according to the rules it would have been legit. Player had control! Now, if I granted the TO and the kid makes his bunny shot, I'm waving off a go ahead goal and visiting crowd goes ballistic.

Anyways, never been in a situation where the TO was requested as player is going up for a layup.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks

[bob jenkins]

Grant it. The fans will be mad -- at the coach.

[bucky]

If you are watching the play and keenly focused on it, then do not grant it. You are to officiate the play and have neither the time, nor luxury, to take your eyes off the play and be sure that it is the coach requesting TO. If you were indeed officiating the play, your partner(s) could have and probably should have been able to see the HC and grant the TO.

Also, with massive amounts of respect to Bob, many fans will still be mad at you even though it was the coach's fault.

[SC Official]

If the home coach hears the visiting coach request timeout and you don't grant it and the layup is made, you're going to hear about it.

As long as you're 100% sure that V coach requested TO and his player was in control, grant it. If it takes away an easy layup, he has no one to blame but himself.

Now, if you're focused and just miss the request, that happens. But don't ignore it because "they were about to score a layup." Some officials would buy into that philosophy and I think that's ludicrous. Probably the same officials that would turn a blind eye to a team requesting TO when it has none left.

[Raymond]

Did you mean to say you were the Trail, not the "L"?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bucky

... neither the time, nor luxury, to take your eyes off the play and be sure that it is the coach requesting TO.

2018-2019 IAABO Significant Manual Revisions changed to allow officials to grant timeouts if they either see or hear a head coach request such (“and” changed to “or”).

IAABO mechanics now match the NFHS rule.

5-8-3: Time-out occurs and the clock, if running, shall be stopped when an official: Grants and signals a player’s/head coach’s oral or visual request for a time-out.

In a loud gym, just because we can doesn't mean we should.

[Shane O]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Did you mean to say you were the Trail, not the "L"?

Sorry, my bad!

Yes I was the T!!!

[#olderthanilook]

I've had a similar scenario in the past (a couple of times actually) in which a coach loudly - so most in the gym could hear - requested a time out while A1 had control and was passing to A2 who released shot beyond the arc. Both time I was looking through to the coach as T from opposite his bench. I confirmed then granted the timeout as soon as A2 caught the ball. Of course, it was bang bang and A2 releases a quick and successful try.

The egg was on the coach's face.

[RefsNCoaches]

If the player is in control and the coach requests it, grant it.

Reminds me of the time I was coaching my 5th grader (who is now college freshman) ...We were a solid and fundamental team for our age...our team was ahead in a gam but we were beginning to play very erratic. The ball is being passed around the perimeter and I'm requesting time out...and as it gets to my best shooter, about the time the whistle blows to grant it, she's putting up a 3...swish! No shot...time out before the shot! Her Dad was so pissed at me!

But not as mad as the 2nd time it happened in that game about 2 minutes later!

I finally told him I didn't give a damn about his daughter's PPG...I'm trying to teach these kids BBIQ and to understand game/clock management and we didn't need 3s at that point. Poor shot selection was allowing our opponent to get back in the game.

[#olderthanilook]

I'll bet he was really pissed when you told him his daughter's poor shot selection was the reason the opponent was climbing back into the game.

[BigCat]

Grant it.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RefsNCoaches

Her Dad was so pissed at me! I finally told him I didn't give a damn about his daughter's PPG...I'm trying to teach these kids BBIQ and to understand game/clock management and we didn't need 3s at that point. Poor shot selection was allowing our opponent to get back in the game.

Makes no nevermind. College coaches check out fifth grader statistics and grandmother videographer game videos online all the time. You cost his daughter a full ride to Notre Dame and a lucrative career in the WNBA.

[RefsNCoaches]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Makes no nevermind. College coaches check out fifth grader statistics and grandmother videographer game videos online all the time. You cost his daughter a full ride to Notre Dame and a lucrative career in the WNBA.

Hahahaa...Yeah, I know...I know...always derailing the youth team member scholarships! I never put a lot of stock in the parents man. Been coaching kids so long and I know my players leave at the end of the season more skilled, and more importantly, smarter players after I coach them...I wouldn't change that for anything.

On a side note...she's now playing volleyball at the University of Indianapolis ...not sure if she'll play hoops but she was always a solid player in both sports as a kid coming up. Coached her in softball too for a couple years. She had a lot of drive as a kid and it obviously paid off for her.

[Shane O]

Thanks for the replies fellas! In hindsight, I should have granted the TO. By the time the whistle would have blown the ball would have already been released on the shot and I'm sure confusion would have shown on everyone except for the HC.

All I can do is learn from these types of situations. I kinda already knew the responses I would get. A good reminder to be vigilant and stay ultra focused on the present moment while officiating.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Shane O

Thanks for the replies fellas! In hindsight, I should have granted the TO. By the time the whistle would have blown the ball would have already been released on the shot and I'm sure confusion would have shown on everyone except for the HC.

This is one where you may want to come in strong with a heavy whistle and yelling..."no shot, timeout!!!"

You want to being doing that as soon as you can before the ball goes in or misses. Then, you can hope that it goes in and the other coach will be thrilled you granted the timeout and the one that called it can't complain either.