Timeout After Made Basket
 

A1 makes basket. Team A signals for a timeout. If I'm reading my rulebook correctly, the TO can be granted UNTIL the ball is "at the disposal" of the player taking the ball out of bounds.

A ball is at the disposal of a player when it is:

a. handed to a thrower and d)available to a player after a goal.


So, can a TO only be granted before the thrower picks up the ball after the basket? What if he immediately catches it after it comes through the basket - if he's not OOB yet, can a TO be granted? Can a TO ever be granted after he has the ball in his hands and is OOB?

The way we've been told to administer this rule is that the ball is "at the thrower's disposal" once he/she's picked it up AND is standing OOB facing the court. Basically, once an official would start his/her 5-second count.

It's the official's judgment. If the player is inbounds, but "stalling", then the ball might be judged to be at the disposal. If the player is OOB but can't reasonably be ready to make a throw-in (e.g., the ball rolled away a little bit), then the ball might be judged to be not at the disposal.

Exactly what I was told too.

The time out needs to be requested pretty quick. Once the new offense gets control of the ball and begins the process of moving it back inbounds..... no TO.

This was posted pre-season on the NFHS website.

2006-07 NFHS Basketball Rules Interpretations

SITUATION 9: With less than one minute to play in the fourth quarter, Team A scores a field goal to tie the game. B1, standing under the basket after the score, secures the ball and begins heading to the end line for the ensuing throw-in. A1 requests and is granted a time-out. RULING: Legal procedure. Team A may request and be granted a time-out until the ensuing throw-in begins. The throw-in does not begin until B1 has the ball at his/her disposal and the official has begun the five-second count.

The ruling is not until you start your 5-second count. That's the key. It will get a little tricky if the player grabs the ball before it hits the floor, and does a quick inbound where you never started your 5-second count. In this case, it will be judgement. The thing to note is it is not the touch or possession of the ball by the inbounder. Good question, I just learned this out here too.

Normally, the coach will start calling for a time-out right after the made basket, especially if the game is close. If he is screaming for it after the shot, grant it.

That's exactly where I was going to go - Game Management. Know the situation. Being prepared for said coach to call it and shooting a glance at the coaches to see them call the T.O. helps get this one right. You can grant it before it is "at the disposal"