Requirement or Courtesy?

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Go back and read Rule 2 in both the NCAA and NFHS rules books. The word "Official(s)" is used it is to denote the R and U or R, U1 and U2; it is not used to denote the Scorer and the Timer.

Mark, I certainly don't want you to invoke the ghost of J. Dallas Shirley to chase me around, but I will ask you to go look at the very start of Rule 2 in both codes. In NFHS, 2-1 denotes both the "Game and Table Officials". In NCAA, Rule 2-1 is labeled, "The Officials", and Sec. 3 under that rule states "The scorers, timers, and shot clock operator shall be located at the scorers' table at courtside." So, clearly both rule sets include the table personnel as "officials".

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

You have missed my point: Both NCAA and NFHS Rules specifically state that the Scorer shall notify a team when it has used its last timeout, and that the Scorer shall do this by notifying an Official who shall then notify the team.

I don't think I've disagreed with this point; in fact, I agree. However, I was simply pointing out a slight difference in the two rule sets, in that in NFHS, under the specific duties listed for the floor officials (2-4 thru 2-10), there is no mention of the TO notification. The only mention is under the Scorer's duties, 2-11, where the the scorer is required to notify the coach through an official. However, under NCAA rules, it is listed both under the floor officials' duties (2-7-15), as well as under the scorer's duties (2-9-9).

So, if we wanted to be really picky, the only difference would be in NFHS, if the scorer did not notify the official about the team using their last allotted TO, the official would not have to notify the team. In NCAA, it appears the official would still need to notify the team, even if the table didn't inform them. In both cases, however, we agree that if the table notifies the official, the official then notifies the team.

My point in this whole discussion is I disagree with those who want to tell the coach they still have one full and one 30 left (or any other amount other than they've used their last one). Unless, of course, that is how it is commonly done in their area, and coaches and officials both come to view this as common practice.