No Timeouts - end of the game
 

Team A has no TOs left ... Team A down 2 and tries to call time out ... do you grant it and then proceed with the tech or since you have knowledge that they have none left do you ignore the request?

Why would you not comply with a rule?

That's my question ... is that the rule?

This happened to me in a game and Team A was signalling for TO with 2 seconds left to my partner who was the trail ... he would no grant it ... I went to blow my whistle to signal the TO was acknowledged and the horn sounds -- he proceeds to ay game over! Team A has no more TOs ... right or wrong?

I thought it was wrong, but he stepped in and declared the game over ... nobody really argued.

Yes, it is the rule:

5-12-2: "Time-outs in excess of the allotted number may be requested and shall be granted . . . at the expense of a technical foul for each.

Does your partner also officiate football? In basketball, we only "ignore" a time-out request in a few circumstances:

1. live ball, the requesting team doesn't have control.
2. when requested before a foul has been reported.
3. before the opening jump ball.
4. if it's a successive time-out at the end of the 4th quarter/OT.

Who is he?

Peace

And we don't even ignore the time out request in Mark's number 2. We delay granting it until the foul has been reported and any associated activity, such as replacing a disqualified player.

Sounds as if your partner was just ready to get that game done. Out of curiousity, was that the last game or did you all have more to work?

Always grant the request. To deliberately ignore a rule compromises your integrity as an official. If a T becomes warranted, then so be it.

Having said that, you must be sure that the head coach was requesting the time out.

Right! Who knows, maybe Team B misses both FTs & Team A steals the throw-in at half court for the hail mary 3 & win by 1... it can be or should I say it could've been done.

An NCAA crew was suspended this year for an official "ignoring" a visual request made by a player for a timeout.

I think the conference's response is enough reason to call the timeout. I wouldn't call the technical at the spot of the timeout. I would wait until the table informs you that the team is out of timeouts.

Precisely why I never ask the table how many timeouts each team has. I have to grant the (proper) request anyhow. I don't count fouls or timeouts. Coaches are best for that.

I will, however, ask the scorers if their books match. I don't want to figure out later that Team A has a TO left by their math, but none available according to the Team B scorebook.

Thanks you to all ... that is exactly what I thought should have happened!

We've had this discussion on the forum before as to whose responsibility it is to know how many timeouts teams have left, whose responsibility it is to inform the benches/coaches....and at what level (10U, 12U, AAU, MS, HS, etc). But, for the most part, we agree - ya WHACK EM!

If the timeout is coming directly from a head coach, then you MUST grant it to him/her. If it's coming from a player and it's not loud enough for anyone to hear it except for you, I would probably think twice.

Really? We exercise our personal judgement when the rule is perfectly clear?