Whistle for Time Out

[lightenup]

I have a quick question on interpretation. When the whistle is blown for a time out, are you granting the timeout for when it is called or when you blow the whistle? Had a situation the other night that my partner blew the whistle for a time out by Team A’s coach while his team was being pressed in the backcourt. At approximately the same time I blew my whistle for a 10 second count. We got together and decided that his whistle was in fact first but Team B’s coach was adamant that they were simultaneous and the 10 second call should stand. First off, I told him that my partners whistle was first and the time out was granted. After the game I got to thinking that even if we had simultaneous whistles, the time out could still be granted since the whistle was to acknowledge the request.

Other thoughts would be appreciated here.

[cmathews]

yep you got it right. In order for your partner to react to the time out confirm it was the head coach, then blow his whistle, the time out request occured first.

[DownTownTonyBrown]

That is exactly how I have explained it in the past...

Had a situation where a player got trapped right in front of the coach... I'm watching the trap for a potential foul, coach calls for time out. I look away to confirm his request, recognize him and blow my whistle just as the trapped player throws the ball .... and of course the defense intercepts.

I state that the player had control at the time of the request. Therefore timeout allowed and the offense retains control for the ensuing throw-in.

One coach wasn't happy but the offense still had to expend a TO and my answer was quite reasonable.

[golfdesigner]

Had a similar sit last Thurs nite..Team A inbounding @ endline in backcourt, I am T, partner L, partner is counting, I hear TO request from behind me I chk to ensure coach is calling TO then I see request for TO from player near throw-in spot..partner blows whistle, signals 5 seconds..I went to partner and tell him I have TO request from A..b4..5-second count..we discuss grant TO and give ball to A at same spot following TO...B Coach is livid..wanted 5-sec violation..during TO B Coach keeps asking what the count was when I grant TO..told coach it didn't matter what count was TO was requested b4 whistle for 5-secs & I needed to make sure who was requesting TO b4 granting it..

I think we got the timing down correctly, in spite of what B Coach wanted..

[JugglingReferee]

I had a similar situation happen in a V girls game that I was evaluating.

Ball goes through the hoop. New offensive coach should have called a TO, but didn't, at least now right away. A TO was requested, by the coach, before the ball was live. Of course, a split second after the request, the coach's player inbounded the ball and it was intercepted. It was near the end of the game, and I asked the complaining coach, who would rather have the time run out or have the ball, if he knew that fouls are administered in the order that they happen. He said yes. I then told him that the same applies here - the request came before the ball was released, therefore, it's a TO.