Placing the ball on the floor...
 

Hey everyone,
I have a quick question that I'd love to get your opinion on. During a time out is it OK to place the basketball on the floor at a certain spot depending on what happened during the time out?

I know this is something that is done in the NBA at every timeout, and I'm sure I follow NBA refs to closely for what I'm doing (high school, NFHS), but I do like this idea for a couple of reasons:

1- I get sweaty. Especially late in the game I feel like I am putting too much moisture on the ball. I do whatever I can to wipe off the ball before the inbound, but I would like to just grab it and go.

2- I think it would help both myself and my partner, as well as the team know what is going to happen after the timeout. Obviously we all SHOULD know that, but that doesn't always happen, especially when working with inexperienced officials.

Thoughts?

2007-09 NFHS Officials Manual, page 5

0.1.4 Dead-ball Officiating and Communication
...
B. Time-outs: Communicate with your partner(s). If a time-out has been taken, indicate the spot of the ball before reporting the time-out. Get together if necessary to discuss a potential problem or action and put the ball down at the spot of the inbound or free throw if you must leave that spot. Work with the table at that point to alleviate any questions or concerns before the ball becomes live.

Timeout Mechanics ...
 

From my long version (rookies, first time partner) pregame:

When the ball is dead, we must be alive. Team calling timeout must have player dribbling or holding the ball. Both officials must know the game situation when play resumes following a timeout (team, direction, spot or run baseline, shooter, number of shots). One official at spot of throwin or free throw line with ball facing direction in which it will be put into play. Other official at division line, quarter for 30 second and three quarters for 60 second.

Also, from my local board's guidelines:

Grant/No Grant
- grant to team if teammate has player control, but not to opponent
after foul, do not grant until information is reported to table or disqualified player has been replaced
- grant to team if ball is “at their disposal”, but not to opponent
- grant only to head coach (oral or visual); be 125% certain
- grant to airborne player with possession; example – player with both feet in air and falling out-of-bounds
- grant to either team if ball is dead
- grant excess timeout; penalize the infraction
- do not grant during interrupted dribble

Signal
- Official signals time-out by extending arm/open hand straight up with simultaneous whistle
- Official that signals the time-out also reports the time-out to table.
- Report team color, # of player or coach requesting time-out, to scorers
- Report if 30 or 60-second time-out to scorers/timer

Court Position Guidelines
- Officials do not switch court positions. Official with “line responsibility” when time-out was called, will administer the resumption of play throw-in and should assume that spot after reporting the time out.
- If 30 second - one official goes to designated resumption of play spot and other official straddles division line, half-way between center circle and sideline closest to table. Both officials face the table.
- If 60 Second - one official goes to designated resumption of play spot and other official straddles division line, half-way between sideline farthest from the table and the center circle. Both officials face the table.
- Administering official - place ball on either hip, belt or back to indicate direction of ball.
- Warning horn - when warning horn sounds, both officials initially move towards each team huddle and verbally say "first horn" and put index finger in air; then move to resumption of play court positions.
- Final horn – Administering official will blow whistle before resuming play or use resumption of play procedure if teams are not ready to play.

My rookie season I granted a TO to a coach and was only 117% certain......I'm glad I don't work in your area or I guess I'd still be doing nothing but MS games. :p

If I have the ball on the sideline, I either set the ball on the floor or hold it in the direction we will be going at resumption. If I'm on the end during the timeout, I hold (or sit) the ball in front or behind me.
Eliminates the times during boring games when the teams come out of the huddle, and I can't remember which way the ball is going!

Our assignor here in our largest class level of high school recently sent out an email not to set the ball on the floor during timeouts. Not sure why, but he's the boss!

I don't like this mechanic at any level, NBA/WNBA, FIBA, NCAA, or NFHS.

Just my humble (:D) opinion.

MTD, Sr.

99 44/100 % ???
 

Typical rookie mistake. We've all made that mistake early in our careers. Who said that you have to be a good mathematician to be a good official?

Because he is full of himself. :(

People can certainly have opinions about they like and what they don't, but they shouldn't be instructing people not to do things that are permitted by the national federation/state association.

I don't mind people having a preference for one way or the other, but I think that it is over the top to adopt a "my way is the only way" attitude.

My experience is that people such as your assignor also tell officials not to make certain calls or to call plays a certain way despite what the rules say. I can't stand that. :mad:

Maybe he's an old timer?
 

I believe that putting the ball on the floor only showed up in the mechanics manuals, definitely the IAABO manual, just recently, although some of us have been doing it for many years.

So then it is fine to leave the ball on the floor at the designated throw in spot, or the free throw line then proceed to either the top of the key (30 second TO), or the block (full TO).

Thanks everyone!

NFHS from the 2007-09 Basketball Officials Manual: Sections 2.4.3.C.3 and 3.4.3.C.3 both state that: "If the administering official needs to leave the throw-in spot, he/she may place the ball on the floor at the spot."

NCAA Women's from the 2008-09 CCA Women's Basketball Officials Manual: Section 3.4.3.A.3 states: "Put the ball at the spot where play will be resumed with a throw-in only if spot is to be vacated."

NCAA Men's from the 2008-09 CCA Men's Basketball Officials Manual: There is no such provision in the Men's Manual.

FIBA Two- and Three-Person Crews: There is no such provision in either manual.

WNBA/NBA Officials Manual: I do not have a copy of the WNBA/NBA Manual but I have seen the officails place the ball on the floor per NFHS and NCAA Women's manuals so I assume that it is allowed per WNBA/NBA Manual.

IAABO: For those of you that officiate in areas that use the IAABO Basketball Officials Manual: The 2008-09 Two- and Three-Person Manuals has no such provision. The IAABO Manual is very very simular to the NFHS Manual.

MTD, Sr.


P.S. But I still stand by my humble opinion that it does not look good at any level and I would never do it and I would recommend to other officials not to do it.

You know, holding in your feelings like this is only going to hurt you in the long run.

You seem to be confused.

You wouldn't put the ball down and then go stand somewhere else. That is not the proper mechanic at this time.

In 2-man one official is to be at the throw-in/FT location with the ball and the other is on the intersection of the division line and the center circle (front for 30, back for 60).

For 3-man one official is with the ball at the throw-in/FT location while the other two officials are at that top of the FT semicircles (30) or on the blocks (60).

The mechanic of 2-man officials taking the spots of the free officials in 3-man was dropped a couple of years ago because the FED felt that it was better to have someone at the location from where play will be resumed.

Yes I do seem to be confused. I have always believed (and been told) that for TO's you are to stand at the top of the key (30) and on the block (60).

As Nevada pointed out; this just changed. I believe it changed back to the way it used to be, but I could be wrong.