Ugly Timeout Situation - Discussed Before

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Since the Syracuse problem back in February, we've been advised by one of our interpreters to reverse this point of emphasis:

Officials must ensure that the time-out request is coming from a player or the head coach of the team in control. Additionally, during live ball situations, it is imperative the officials ensure player control before granting a time-out.

In other words, here in our little corner of Connecticut, the last thing that we do is ensure player control before granting the timeout. You won't find this in either the NFHS, nor the IAABO, manual, or rulebook. This should help us avoid the situation that Mr. Cahill found himself in back in February.

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Unfortunately, while you're doing so you're also avoiding the purpose and intent of the rule. And in some situations, you may also be penalizing a team that has asked for a legitimate TO which you have refused without any concrete rules basis for doing so. If a team has player control at the time of a time-out request, you have no rules justification to deny that request. Are there any other rules that your little corner of Connecticut has chosen to change?

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If you're looking at the bench to make sure that it is indeed the correct team requesting the timeout, and that it is indeed the head coach who is making the request, then how do you know that the correct team has player control, without looking back at the court, and the player in control? Your right, we are not following any NFHS rule, or for that matter, any NFHS, or IAABO, mechanics, but the wordng of these references is "fuzzy".

The spirit and purpose of the rule is to ensure that the correct team, the head coach of said team, and a player on said team has player control, all three at the same time. Tough to do if you have to visually observe the team bench, which forces, in some, but not all, cases, the official to turn away from the action on the court.

Just found this on the IAABO website:

A player or a Head Coach may request a time-out. The request may be oral or visual.

An official may grant the time-out if the ball is live and the clock is running when:

(a) the ball is in control (holding or dribbling) or is at the disposal of a player of his/her
team.

(b) the ball is dead, unless replacement of a disqualified, or injured player(s), or a player
is directed to leave the game is pending, and a substitute(s) is available and required.

Upon hearing/seeing the request for time-out, the official next must check/view the
situation and rule whether or not the request can be granted.

It's not in the NFHS rulebook. It's probably not in the NFHS mechanics manual. It's not in the current IAABO mechanics manual. But it is on the international website. That's the citation that IAABO members need to know. You NFHS guys are on your own.