I believe I read in one of our books (not handy) that if both teams are ready to play early - ball in, game on. But, if your signal 60 and one team is ready and the other not, you have to wait.

I agree with this. However, what was being advocated last night, was notifying the other team it was a thirty second time-out because that was what was requested, even though only full time-outs remained.

There's no support for doing that. If a coach is out of a certain length of timeout, he gets the other regardless of which type he requests.

If he wants to be ready to play in the 30 rather than 60, fine. But the opponent should get the entire 60 seconds if they want them.

Two Case Book Plays
 

5.11.1 SITUATION: Team A requests and is granted a 60-second time-out. After approximately 15 seconds of the time-out period has elapsed: (a) Team A comes back on the court ready to play while Team B players stay at their bench; (b) Team B is ready but Team A is not; or (c) both teams take positions and appear ready to resume play. RULING: In (a) and (b), the time-out period will continue as only one team is ready to play. In (c), the game will resume as soon as both teams are ready to play.

5.12.1 SITUATION B: The coach for Team A requests a 30-second time-out, but it is discovered that he/she does not have a 30-second time-out remaining, but does have one 60-second time-out remaining. The official grants the coach a 60-second time-out. RULING: The official was correct to grant the coach of Team A the last of his/her 60-second time-outs since the coach had already used two 60-second time-outs and two 30-second time-outs.

If the coach only has 60s, he only gets 60s.
The other team is entitled, by rule, to the full 60 seconds if they want it.

In the old days, the calling team could shorten the length of time by returning to the floor before the expiration of time and the non-calling team would need to be ready for play. I think that rule probably changed with the advent of the 30 second time out, but I am not sure. Stuff that happened in the intervening 26 years is a bit fuzzy to me as to WHEN it happened.

Will Someone Tell Barbra To Shut Up ???
 

You beat me to the punch. I thought that only Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. was as "experienced" as me? Of course, I'm not as old as you guys, I started officiating when I was four years old. I only dye my hair gray to look "distinguished".

Look harder, there is rules support for this. You'll find it. ;)

I know we're talking NFHS here, but FWIW that is currently still the rule in NCAA. If the calling team is ready in say 7 secs, then the table should sound the horn and team B has 15 to get ready to play on 2.

Also FWIW I've been taught at the college level - especially early- assume a 30, they will tell you otherwise. And the HS level just the opposite. Assume a 60 and they will tell you otherwise. And from experience seems to be the norm in my area.