Time out request??????
 

Just following up on a ruling that an interpreter has been informing members on our board who are officiating NFHS

He has been informing officials that during a held ball that if either coach calls a time out that the official is to blow his whistle and grant the time out even thought neither player had full control of the ball. At that point the team receives the time out and who ever is entitled to the possession arrow receives the ball after the time out has ended.

Looking forward to your response.

I personally haven't heard this interpretation. Usually if a timeout is requested close to or simultaneously to a held ball call, you'll usually see the held ball call. I'm not sure if I really agree with the interpret, because the whole point of them calling a timeout is to try and save/gain possession. If there's a held ball, there's no point to the timeout. Now I'll ask coach if he still wants that timeout, but most likely he won't.

I'm sure someone will come along and prove me wrong though. :p

So you are saying that a held ball and a time-out are being called simultaneously even though there isn't player control?

If he is saying that you should call a held ball during a dead ball, or that you should grant a timeout without player control, he is wrong.

But even if you did call a timeout w/o player control, you can't go back to the PA.

If you have the reaction time to grant a timeout during a held ball, you should have the reaction time to call a held ball. In order to recognize a held ball at the time of the timeout request, the held ball had to happen before the timeout request.

This is where I was going to say things like dumb and stupid, but I just think you should go back and ask if the interpreter was sure.

2009 poe
 

During loose-ball situations, when there is doubt as to which player has obtained
control, officials should not grant a time-out, but rather rule a held ball

With all due respect, your interpreter should be ashamed of himself for giving such an incorrect interpretation. I suggest that you read the rules that define under what conditions a timeout request can be granted.

MTD, Sr.