3-Whistle Time-out mechanics


Looking for opinions on how the officials on the blocks (full time-out) or at the top of the key (30 second time-out) come out when the first horn sounds.
Of course 3rd official with the ball.


We pre-gamed it the other night...for both officials to take one step while visually showing first time-out (not the Harley "High Sign");) and vocalize "FIRST HORN".

I like both officials to at least do the same thing...whatever we come up with in our pre-game.

I thought the one step approach worked OK...but, I felt like I would have liked to have been closer to the bench.
I didn't feel like we were being heard as well as we could have been had we been closer.

I know this is the "little stuff"...but, sometimes the "little stuff" can mean the difference of watching the state championship game...or doing it.

[Edited by RookieDude on Dec 4th, 2004 at 05:34 AM]

If there's an evaluator anywhere in the world that really is worrying about how many steps you should take forward on a TO warning, well, that evaluator has got waaaaaay too much freaking time on his hands, Dudey.

That's my opinion. :D

...and I knew this would seem (and probably is to some) petty...
but look at the big picture.

If you have one official going to the huddle and the other official standing at the TO spot with a finger in the air...it's just not clean, IMO.

Check out the Pro football officials when a field goal is made.
Both officials confirm the goal and walk out with arms raised at the same time. Looks good...why not be syncronized? I mean, check out those swimmers...don't they look good? ;)

RookieDude,
The job is to notify and encourage the teams to break the huddle.
If each official puts up a finger and walks toward the huddle, close enough to be heard, that is close enough drill for me. If one ref keeps walking and one jogs to position after his charges break, that's fine with me.

With a perfectly choreographed plan, the teams, breaking at different times, will negate the dance.
mick

Last night I worked with a new partner and noticed something he did. When he was across the court when a coach requested a time out, he would hit the whistle, raise his open hand, and hustle out to about the key before signalling toward the bench. Those extra few steps didn't make any difference to his effectiveness in calling the time out. But it looked good.

An evaluator may not care how close you get to the huddle, but will probably notice if the crew looked really sharp doing whatever it is they did.

Is that the kind of thing you're getting at, RookieDude?

Yup. :)

If you mean we should look like synchronized swimmers, I quit, here and now! Ain't no eval in the whole country gonna recommend me for a 3rd grade free throw contest after they've seen me in a swim suit. And that goes double for several other refs I know! or maybe you're just thinking we need the matching caps with the cute little fake flowers?! Somebody find an img to put here.

Hmmmm, referees wearing just matching bathing caps with cute fake flowers? Would save a lot of $ on uniforms. But where would you hook your smitty?

Off of your nose plugs, of course, silly.

Well, getting the teams ready to play promptly after a timeout is a POE for all my guys this year. We are told to come to the huddle (not just one step off the blocks), announce the first horn, stay there, break em out at the second horn if they are not already out. If there is a delay we are to encourage the coach to get em out quicker on the next TO.