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.

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.