Yesterday I was working an AAU 9th grade semi final game. Team A has just scored. Team B picks up the ball. I hear "TIME OUT" ! I look over my shoulder to notice it is Team A calling time out.

I ignore the request for a time out and we play on. The next time A gets the ball they call time out and want to know why we did not give them the time out since the ball was not inbounded yet. Explained to them B had the ball but they did not like the call.

At the end of the game The Assistant for A came over and truly was asking about the rule. Since we were at a point where officials were swapping out we had 5 officials there who heard the conversation. We all told him it was a live ball, B had it, and trying to be simple we told him it was not any different than any other time a player had a live ball in his possession in bounds or OOB. He left satisfied.

Just as we were about to start another game he came back and said. I ve been told to bet you guys a 100 dollars that all six are wrong. The high school varsity coach who was one of the sponsors told him that our interp. was not right and that he should bet us 100 dollars.

My partner who was done for the day had his rule books in his bag and being such an upstanding, honest guy told him he was not going to take his money because it was too easy.

I almost wish he had taken it we could have gone to dinner and had something good to eat. ...

Oh well things we do in the name of honetsy and ethics!

A High School Varsity Coach is always going to know the rules better than 6 Referees. LOL

The coach would have never paid you because he would have said that the rule book was wrong. :D

Z

That $100 ends up costing you more since now the coaches and sponsors think you don't know the rules, might not ask you back to work in the future. :( Now for my public service announcement for officials:

Never gamble or wager in fact or even APPEAR to do so!

I would have certainly taken the time to offer the rule book reference to that assistant and encourage him to show it to the coach/sponsor. I love it when a jackass coach can be exposed....they never really know if you were trying to educate them or insult them.

[Edited by Robmoz on Dec 30th, 2004 at 12:05 PM]

"Coach, I'm not going to take your money. Find a rule book and look up when timeouts may be granted, and you'll understand why the hs varsity coach isn't betting his own $100."

One time when I had a coach question me on a rule interpretation (won't they ever learn?), I told him that I had a rule book in my bag and that I would make him a bet on the rule. If I lost, I would pay him $100. If he lost, he had to wash my car. He declined the bet.

I believe the Coach was thinking/confused in that a time-out can be called between the time the ball goes through the hoop and the time the ball is picked up / at the disposal of the player for inbounding. I think that's where the confusion /misinterpretation lies.

I know a WHOLE state full of people who disagree with your public service announcement.
However you wish to conduct your own life is fine with me, just don't foist your beliefs upon the rest of us who are also free to choose how we live.

It was an AAU game. That is the problem right there. Many of those tournaments play by NCAA rules. Most of the people who serve as coaches and team managers are NOT associated with high school sports. They are NOT familiar with NFHS rules. They only know what they see on TV.

Of course, you are correct for NFHS play, but to continue the point that I made above, the rule in the NCAA is a little different.

Here is the NCAA rule:

BR-99 RULE 5-9/SCORING AND TIMING REGULATIONS
RULE 5 Scoring and Timing Regulations
Section 9. Stopping Game and Shot Clocks
Art. 5. Recognizes a request by the head coach or a player for a timeout after a goal until a player on the team putting the ball in play from the end line is positioned out of bounds with the ball.

Nevadaref,
I'd say that for officials standing around in uniform at an AAU tournament, it would probably be best to avoid the appearance of gambling. My assumption was that Robmoz was talking about this aspect of it, and I would assume he's not nearly as concerned with whether any of us (officials) happens to frequent a casino in our personal time.

Well, your assumption aside, I doubt you know the WHOLE state.

You can continue to enjoy your choices to your hearts content. Now, if you are ignorant enough to think that I was referring to gambling in general then it doesn't matter what I foist.

But, in support of you, let me clarify that my foisting PSA was directed to actions by officials; who have to adhere to a bit higher standard when it comes to certain things such as gambling.

Accept the bet, match it, and send all $200 to the tsunami relief fund.

I would agree.

WOW....gambling really IS a religion in Nevada! :p

(BTW, I'm totally taking the bet - I could use the dough!)

The play involved Team B actually positioned for a throw-in. It would not have made a difference in rule interpretation. It was not one of those that ball was thru the net and B picks up ball and walking OOB with back to playing floor.

All AAU tournaments at this time of year use NFHS rules here.

I would relax on the gambiling remarks. We werent standing around gambling. I would not have taken his money even if I had my books...

First never said we would even take it! Second There are only two states in the country that dont have some sort of gambling that is legalized and I live in one of them.