messy time out
 

Girls varsity game. Visting team is up by 12 mid way through 4th quarter. Visiting team hits 15 foot jump shot to go up by 14. As the ball is coming through the net, home team coach says "Give me a timeout." (I am the trail standing in front of visiting bench and as the ball goes through the basket, I turn and start down the court). As soon as I verify it's the head coach asking for the timeout, I hit the whistle. I award the timeout to home team. Visiting coach asks me why he gets a timeout when his team just threw the ball away?

Sure enough, when the home team grabbed the ball after the made basket and stepped OOB, they then threw the ball away as I'm awarding the timeout.

I know he asked for the timeout BEFORE the ball was thrown away, but it sure looks ugly. I know in this situation whatever you do will make someone unhappy (if I DON'T award the timeout, home coach will be angry). For what it's worth, I told the visiting coach that the timeout was requested BEFORE home player even had the ball. He just grumbled a little and didn't say anything else.

Any advice on this?

"Because coach, he asked for the timeout before the violation occurred." End of discussion and move away.

Join those of us who want the NFHS to change the rule. ;)
Take time-out requests away from coaches unless the ball is dead AND the clock is stopped.

As a first year, this is one of the toughest areas for me.
 

Anticipating TO calls (when they will logically be requested)
Immediately recognizing who is calling (while their team has ball or dead ball)
Discerning the language they use to call it, sorting it out from the instructions that coaches are giving their players
Looking to the benches at the right time to see coaches as they signal.

I would think that this is one area that really gets easier with time.

Right now, responding to the coach's request for time out after a made basket is often a genuine challenge for me to do prior to a live ball if it is the new defensive coach's request, or prior to the inbounds pass if it offensive coach's request.

Lets say it is a PPOI -- Personal Point of Emphasis.

Ward.

Grune: That's pretty much what I did and he accepted it and went on.

I do make it a point to anticipate situations when a coach is going to want a timeout and we also talk about it during pregame. Strangely enough, the home coach does not yell and he keeps his voice down during the games. Consequently, you really have to either be close to him or keep an eye on him in timeout situations. Naturally, not many people in the gym realized he called a timeout before the ball was thrown away.

Anticipating timeouts does get a lot easier with experience. Just keep your eyes and ears open.

You Got That Right, Nevadaref
 

Amen.