I don't need no stinking whistle!

[jbduke]

BITS,

My guess is that the clock operator didn't stop the clock until you were able to hit the whistle. If that is the case, then, given that TOTALLY RATIONAL response on his/her part, why does the Federation persist in requiring the stop-clock signal be given before signalling direction, specific violation, etc.?

One might respond, "because of instances just like this one." My contention is that even in instances like this one, it simply doesn't matter.

For those who know the history of officiating better than I do, what's the history of the stop-clock signal? I heard once that it was instituted in the days of low-quality whistles that were sometimes inaudible in crackerbox gyms.