One Player, Four Timeouts
 

Have you ever had to credit one player with calling four timeouts in a game? Last Friday we had one player get trapped four times and he paniced and called four timeouts. I called all four and he probably had a one or two second count on all of them. After the fourth timeout I went to the coach and told him that he had one timeout left but that only #2 could call it....the coach started to laugh and told me that he probably wasn't going to be on All-Conference Academic Team.

My skills in getting and reporting the number on a timeout have waned considerably since coaches started calling 95% of them. I had a player trapped last week and lost the number between the timeout and reporting it. Whoops.

I do not know if I have had 4 players in a single year since coaches have been given the right to request for a timeout, let alone in one game.

Peace

I've had one this year.

I've had quite a few this season, most times on airborne players going OOB (HS).

Me too.

Me neither.

Only time in recent memory I've had a player ask, they had none. It was late in a close game, ball on the floor, trying to avoid a held ball call, at least 2, possibly 3 guys made the T signal. Coach had a fit.

"I didn't call timeout!"

"At least 2 players did coach."

All the players denied it.

Would you admit to it when your coach is throwing a fit?

Especially not this coach. We could hear them in their locker room after the game. It was quite a profanity festival.

Which is why we need to remember the number of the player.

I lucked out. Out of habit, I started to make the "C" hand gesture toward the table, then caught myself and glanced at the bench: "44 blue...60-second time out...start the clock, please!"

It might be better for the players to request time-outs. Teams could get a few extra seconds due to surprise recovery!

Need is a strong word. It's not like it didn't happen if we don't have the number. Same thing as the coach screaming for the number of a fouling player on the football field....

I have had several this month. More than in the last several years combined. One I remember a few years ago really flummoxed the table personnel as they were expecting the C sign. V officials cracked up at the table reaction.

One this year saved the game for his team. Halfcourt trap with 6 seconds left and a tie score. They ended up winning at the buzzer.

Dang.... you let one player call four timeouts?!?! Shame, shame on you! ;)


I had to say it... M&M put me up to it! :D