Great officials gesture
 

Did anyone watch the ending of the OSU-Wisconsin game on Sunday?

With about 1:20 to go, Ohio State had a walk on senior at the table waiting to get into the game. After a Ohio State basket, referee Mike Kitts blows his whistle to kill the play and acts like his shoe is untied and bent over and tied his shoe to get the sub into the game.

What a great gesture to the student athlete and the game of basketball.

The announcers gave Kitts kudos also.

My kudos to Mike Kitts as well!

I saw it and it really was a terrific gesture by that official. It didn't affect the game at all but it let that senior get into the game. I wonder why the OSU coach didn't request a TO? Maybe they were out of them? So what - they were far enough ahead that a T wouldn't have made any difference at that point in the game. Besides, he probably had some left.

I'm surprised one of the coach's didn't direct a player to take a foul.

I also like the gesture. But why bother with the shoe tying thing?

I worked with an official who used to carry a coin in his pocket and if this situation came up he would blow his whistle and act like he was picking of the coin and then he would show it like he really picked it up.

I think I agree with JAR here. You're fooling no one by trying to be cute and tying your shoe or picking up a coin. Everyone knows why you blew your whistle. If you're going to do this gesture, just go ahead and do it.

+1 And who would possibly object? This is a rare instance where " 'Cause I wanted to and I'm the ref," is ok, in my opinion.

And you would be willing to risk a D-1 contract on that???:eek:

We all know what he did, and hopefully the supervisor of that conference gives him the proverbial pat on the back...but there is no provision in the rules for simply blowing the whistle to bring a sub in just because the game is a blowout and it makes for a "nice gesture."

If the official did as you suggested, the losing coach would then have ammo to take to the conference office against that official. The way the official handled it, the losing coach may be mad, but there isn't a darn thing he can do about it.

Couldn't a coach go back and look at the tape and point out that the official's shoelaces weren't untied or that the official took out a coin from his pocket and put the coin on the court? You know, if there was a coach that wanted to go that route and complain about this.

I didn't know my D-1 contract was at stake. I wouldn't risk my D-1 contract on faking tying my shoe, either.

And when the losing coach complains, all the official has to do is say "My shoe was loose on my foot - I needed to tie it tighter."

The coin one I would not do...

But simply blowing the whistle to bring the sub on is a good way to get yourself in trouble with a supervison/assignor.

I never understand why officials worry about what kids play. This is on the coach and they can do all kinds of things to allow the kid to play. I agree it is a nice gesture, but I would not be doing this at all. Why open myself up for something to be scrutinized by unless this was a directive from the conference to do such a thing.

Peace

All OSU had to do was call a time-out for substitution purposes only. You are not required to used the entire T-O in NCAA ball.

NFHS - I don't have my books handy. But, in HS, if one team is ready to go and the other not, don't you need to maintain the TO length. i.e. - you can't shorten a 60 sec TO to 40 secs unless both teams are ready, correct?

So, you're saying it's different in NCAA?

I have a 52" HD LCD TV and I couldn't see if his shoelaces were untied or not.

Beside, all he has to say is "My shoe laces were loose," not that anyone is going to say anything.

They still have to use a timeout, but it is not a timeout like a normal timeout. But they still have to have one to accomplish this.

Peace

Yes. If the calling team chooses to use a TO to get a player into the game and then is ready to play, the timeout is over.

You are correct for NFHS, I believe the calling team has the option to shorten it in NCAA.

They had a 30 point lead. Even if they had ZERO time-outs they could have called one, ate a Technical, and got their sub in the game.

Yes, that is true. Just wanted to make it clear they have to have a timeout to do this "legally."

Peace

Under NCAA rules when the calling team breaks the huddle and I'm advising the other team it that the T-O is over.

In NCAA, the calling team can shorten the TO, AND there's also a "TO for subs" that is basically zero seconds long. Subs at the table are brought in, the opposing team is allowed an opportunity to counter and the game resumes.

It's the only time we allow coaches to make the travelling signal without get irritated with them.

Because he didn't have a belt to adjust.:D

With experience, that can be done without stopping.

Only if the buckle is large enough. :D

I was told that for the TOs for the JUCO Tournament (uses NCAA Rules), that if the calling team breaks the huddle early, to buzz the horn & to give the other team the additional 15 seconds after the 1st horn to break the huddle before buzzing a 2nd time.

Well looky there, a rule difference that affects the timer.

That would not be correct.

Art. 14

Shortened timeouts:

a. The team that requests a timeout may shorten that timeout when the captain/head coach notifies the official of the team's intent. Exception: The first team-called timeout of the second half or extra period in a game involving elect ronic-media timeout format as in 5-13-10.d.

d. When a request has been made to shorten any timeout for a purpose other than for substitution(s), a warning horn shall be sounded immediately and 15 seconds later another signal shall be sounded to resume play.

In other words, the coach or captain has to notify the officials, and the officials will notify the table of the request to shorten the TO. Don't automatically assume the team wants a shortened TO and sound the horn early without notification. What if the coach doesn't have much to say, but wants his players to get the full time to catch their breath? Why would you take that away from them?

Well, looky there, a rule that mentions a duty of the captain. ;) :D

Those of us that were scoreboard/timer, were told to buzz the warning horn as soon as the calling team's playing 5 were back on the floor, I never noticed any notifications/requests made to shorten the TOs.

However neither the coaches nor officials complained about it being done that way.

I waited until the playing 5 from the calling team were back on the floor until sounding the first horn, the scoreboard system in use had the TO Timer built-in so both teams could see how much time was left in the TO.

You forgot the NCAA Timing Rule that stops the clock after a made basket in the last minute of play of the 2nd half/OT.

Something that the NFHS has not adopted.

Maybe, but if the officials tell the timer to use a certain trigger, that's what he is supposed to do.

The trigger on the taser? :confused:

The point is, you were told the wrong thing.

Go ahead and do what you were told.

I hate to call it a "myth" and have Billy add it to his list, but it is a common misconception. Now, if both teams are coming out early, then we can certainly shorten the TO without notification, and that happens quite often.

Now, on a practical side, simply don't sound the horn when the calling team comes out early. If the officials persist in having you sound it without any notice, then go ahead and do as you were told.

Or, what Bob said.

Bob, before I sounded the 1st horn, I made sure that the calling team was fully out of the huddle & ready to play (aka the calling team was done with the TO).

If it was the wrong thing done, then why was there not any notifications from the coaches &/or officials?

Officials are (generally) glad for anything that speeds up the game. They likely were waiting for a (either coach) to say something.

The coaches didn't notice or didn't care.

None of which makes it right.