Time Out

[mick]

Originally Posted by CoachP

No, I'm "data" gathering at this point....

If you are gleaning as a coach,

• A verbal request from your players works pretty well, better than the "T" for me.
• A Coach's "T" from the box works pretty well, better than the verbal for me.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by mick

A Coach's "T" from the box works pretty well, better than the verbal for me.

Careful, mick - you don't want the coach to think he can be giving us a "T"?

Just in my experience, the verbal works better for me in both instances. An exception to that might be if we are on the other end of the floor, tight game, loud crowd, etc., and it is easier to see the signal than it is to hear the request. But, like you said, it might be easier for the player to verbalize the request rather than try to juggle the ball while giving the signal.

[mick]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Careful, mick - you don't want the coach to think he can be giving us a "T"?

Just in my experience, the verbal works better for me in both instances. An exception to that might be if we are on the other end of the floor, tight game, loud crowd, etc., and it is easier to see the signal than it is to hear the request. But, like you said, it might be easier for the player to verbalize the request rather than try to juggle the ball while giving the signal.

You must officiate table-side most of the game, if you think you need an exception for the signal.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by mick

You must officiate table-side most of the game, if you think you need an exception for the signal.

Now that you mention it, almost all of my games are 3-person, so there is usually someone close to the coach or going right by. I can see, however, in 2-person, there is more of a chance of being further away, so a signal would be more useful.

I've also had coaches "mouth" a TO request, which I've granted. I suppose, by the letter of the rule, that could be incorrect. But it was a communication that I received because I happened to be looking right at the coach at a point in the game where I figured they might want one. I even remember looking directly at one particular coach after a run by the other team, they looked back at me, then said, "Yea, sure, I'll take a time out." So, was I asking him to take a TO?