Team A is up by one point with 20 seconds left in the game. Team A has the ball in their frontcourt and B1 steals the ball. B1 and B2 go on a two on one fastbreak and player B1 loses the ball and ends up getting trapped in the corner on his own baseline and then passes to B2 who is standing by the basket for a layup. As player B2 goes up for the uncontested layup and is in the air the referee blows his whistle and points states that the coach of Team B has called a timeout. The coach for team B insists that he did not call a timeout because they had an extreme advantage. The referee continues and charges the coach with a timeout and waves off the basket made by player B2 who was in the act of shooting. What is the rule when a timeout is called and a player was already in the act of shooting as B2 was doing?

If Coach B made his request for a timeout while either B1 or B2 had player control of the ball, the his timeout request must be granted. It sounds like Coach B made a request for a timeout while B1 had player control of the ball while trapped in the corner, and by the time that the game official confirmed that it was Coach B had requested a timeout B2 was already in the act of shooting. The key to this play is: Did a player from Team B have player control of the ball when Coach B made his/her request for a timeout? If the answer is yes, then the timeout must be granted.

One other thing, this play is a good example of how game officials need to be aware of game situations. Game officials should not anticipate the outcome of a possible play, but should be aware that certain situation are more likely that others.

I had something similar this year that bit me....A has ball...I hear what I think is Time out coming from A's coach. I glance over to confirm and see coach asking for time out. Just that quick, B stole the ball before I could put air in my whistle.

No win situation. I grant the TO, B is pissed. I let play continue, A is pissed. I think I brought this play sitch here and the concensus was to back the truck up and give the time out to A and then explain / take your lumps from B.

Everyone still agree?

I agree.

Change the Rule
 

I agree. But they need to change the rule to only let players call TO. Until they do, you can grant the TO when requested after confirmation. You'll have some 'splaining to do, but it's the right thing.

Mregor

Another question about the situation... the referee claims "I heard you call time out coach" to the coach of team B. Doesn't there need to be some visual confirmation of who is calling the timeout? If the referee did not see that it was the coach calling the timeout and it was some fan instead it hurt team B.

I do not know when the alleged timeout was called I only know that the referee blew his whistle as B2 was in the act of shooting. I did not ever hear the timeout called.