Situation tonight - A1 is in the corner of his frontcourt, off balance, and calls a timeout rather than falling OOB.

Team B (which had no subs) ran over to the bench to sit down. Several members from team A start saying that they just wanted a "quick" timeout, to which I explained that once a timeout is granted (in NFHS) it can only be shortened if both teams are ready to play.

The supervisor at the table then called me over and said that there was a new rule this year which allowed teams to call a short timeout for subs, with play immediately resuming. Not knowing what to think, I simply replied that team A did not have any subs ready, so there would be a full timeout.

Now, did I somehow miss this rule change, or is this guy halucinating?

He's hallucinating! :)

Not under NFHS. Under NCAA the first horn sounds when the
team that called the TO is ready to resume play.

The new "time-out for sub only" time-out is an NCAA women's rule. There has been much debate about whether or not Team B can counter the sub in this instance if they were not already at the table. The last interpretation that I heard was that they could, but it was not a time for team discussion.

NCAA rule
 

There is a new NCAA rule that allows you to call a timeout just for a substitutions. But this is calling a timeout and the coach signalling like they are calling travel, and they you are suppose to go right after that. Maybe that is what the supervisor was talking about?

Peace

I would take a "quick" TO request at a fed game to mean a 30. I think the super needs to crack a rule book.