Coach, what kind of timeout would you like?
 

Over the past few years, I've had to ask that question several times to coaches (mostly at the F/S and lower levels). My question is to you guys is: what do you normally do if no one on the timeout calling team tells you whether they would like a 30 second or 60 second timeout and they have the choice of either?

I usually ask a couple of times as I'm walking to report the timeout, but if no one responds, I just make it a 60 second timeout (if they have any left).

I ask twice... if I get no answer then I made it a 60-second timeout.

Also, in my pre-game, I ask the coaches to help us out with timeouts - if they want a 30 or 60.

If they don't tell me before I get to the reporting position in front of the table, it's a 60. If they're out of 60s, it's a 30. If they're out of both, it's happy time. ;)

I ask. I used to, if a coach didn't indicate, automatically give them a 60. It's how I was taught. However, I found no support in the officials manual for doing that.

Now, I ask on the way by. If I get no response, I watch what they do. If they stand like it's going to be a 30, I give them a 30. If they sit, I give them a 60. Has worked fine for me.

Yeah, I do that in my pregame as well, but we all know that both coaches and players never listen in pregames...

This is one thing that I generally talk about in my pregame as well as in my captains meeting, sometimes even with the coaches before we let them go to their bench.

I tell them that after a timeout is requested and granted that we will be looking to the coach for legnth of timeout that he/she would like. After my partner and I have talked about it in the pregame we will decide what kind of timeout it is if the coaches don't tell us, generally its a 60 rather than a 30. Sometimes I will take my cue from what the team does, ie. if they sit its a 60 and if they don't its 30. I do know that is not a great way to do it as some teams try to sit during all their timeouts, knowing full well that its not allowed, and some teams stand during all their timeouts. It is the coaches job to tell us what kind of timeout.

I ask once. If they don't answer then the length depends on how tired I am and whether or not I'm in hurry to leave that night.

I tell the coaches specifically in the pregame meeting. Please signal which type of timeout you want. If you don't tell me I will give you a full timeout automatically.

(If I think the coach has called a timeout just to yell at me, I will give them a 30. :D;)

An Adult Beverage Is Calling My Name ...
 

It depends on how thirsty I am.

I have begun doing this, and it has worked for me as well.

One item on my "to learn to do" list for this season is to track how many 30's each team has used. When they are out of 30's, I will not ask on any subsequent TO requests.

It's not that hard to count to two. ;)

If you're having trouble, just focus on the team you watch at the beginning fo the game (home if you're U1, visitors if you're U2). After you get the hang of that, add the other team.

IMHO that's exactly the best way to handle it. No big deal if it takes a few extra seconds to wait and see what they do. It definitely beats having to give a T to a coach that is now irate after you've issued a 60sec TO when he wanted a 30sec TO....especially since he may already be frustrated at his team for poor play (this is an easily avoidable problem that is handled by good game management skills).

I did this for a while until I ran across a coach who likes to stand for all his time outs. And then another. And yet another.

Now I ask as I walk by, and if I don't get a response, I give a 60. If no 60s, a 30. I also pre-game this with the coaches, and let them know that's the plan.

lol, you are right. The counting to two part isn't so rough. It's the remembering to do it part. ;)

Do you ever shorten a time-out?
 

Here is an interesting question along these lines that came up last night in our pre-game discussion. Would you ever shorten a full time-out to a 30? Let's say a coach requests a 30 second time-out, but as you report it the table informs you that he has used his two thirty second time-outs and only has fulls left. One school of thought says charge him a full time-out and put 30 seconds on the clock. If a coach wants to use all 5 of his time-outs as 30 second time-outs, so be it. Our crew was divided on this last night. I'm not sure I agree with it, but am curious to hear what others think.