Ethical?

[SportsPlayByPlay]

This is one of the exact reasons why I hate the rule allowing a coach to request a time-out. Before the inception of that rule, a visual time out call usually coincided the verbal call.

Now, you have to not only instantaneously react, BUT TRUST the call of time out by the coach, because 75% of the time, you cannot SEE his call, but only hear it.

There have been many times I have ALMOST granted a time out to a coach because I hear something that sounds "close" to the word "timeout". but I have thought twice.

Well, if you have made it down this far in my post, my apology for blabbing. BOTTOM LINE: It's a judgment call in my opinion. If you interpret "dimeout" as "timeout", then its a timeout. If not, it's not. It's not the officals job to distinguish. Just call what you hear and blow your whistle accordingly.

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Zachary "Chunk" McCrite
South Central Indiana Officials Association