I was working last Friday at a school where I've worked four times in the last two weeks. The first three times I worked varsity games - Friday I worked the JV game. I had to tolerate several "did you get demoted" comments :)

I insisted upon my normal pregame routine, and I could tell this was going to be a problem for my partner, who does not work (and never will work) the varsity level.

He didn't want to talk before the game, and he rolled his eyes when I brought out the magnetic court board. To heck with him, I thought -- I'm doing this for me and because I'm starting to anticipate that I'm going to have to work extra hard in this game.

Then I insist on following the pregame routine on court as well. Apparently, my partner never goes opposite the table -- he doesn't understand why we can't go over and chat with the coaches and scorers, etc. I explain it's because I don't like people. Oh, well. I figured it would be over in an hour or so.

Well, the game goes.....OK. There was this one little occasion where there were substitutes and I had my hand up and my partner put the ball in play while the home team still had six players on the floor. I had to blow my whistle a few times to stop play and get my partner to wait until we had the right number of players on the floor.

The real problem happened at the end. I had called a shooting foul and the visiting team hit both free throws to tie the game. Before the second shot, I looked over to the table to check for substitutes -- there were none.

The shot goes up, I take a step or two in to officiate the rebound, the ball goes in, and one of the home players sprints past me. I turn and head up the floor because it is pretty obvious to me that the ball is going to come that way.

In the meantime, unknown to me, the coach from the visiting team (on the bench at the side we were shooting free throws) apparently requests a timeout. Remember that this is the side that my partner was on -- no more than 22-28 feet from this coach.

In the meantime, the ball is gathered in by the home team and the ball is passed up to midcourt. By this time, a player on the visiting team had reached me and asked for a time out -- the only response I could give was "Too late." The ball was already on the floor. About three seconds later I call a shooting foul with 3 seconds left on the clock.

I took quite a bit of heat when I went to report the foul. I ignored all of it, the home team sank one of two and won by a single point when a last second shot bounced off the rim.

Afterwards, and since then, I have been kicking myself for not looking over to the bench quickly after that second free throw, but in all honesty I did have a partner that should've been in better position to see and grant that timeout.

I asked my partner about the timeout after the game and he said that he didn't think the coach had made a clear timeout signal or request -- that by the time he realized it was a request, the ball was already at halfcourt.

OK, gang...this is where you can let me have it. What should *I* have done here? Is it as obvious as always looking to the benches in this situation? Like I said, I felt I needed to get downcourt quickly as I anticipated that the ball was coming (and it did).

All-in-all, I really hate the coaches requesting timeouts. Things were much easier when a player on the floor had to come to you to get that timeout.

I know that as a coach I would be getting the official's attention BEFORE that second shot goes up....at least I think I would....

Rich

Short answer, Rich, if you can "sneak a peek" at the bench then do it. If you can't, b/c you have to bust it downcourt, then you have to be able to trust your partner. Sounds like you did what you had to do and your partner didn't have his "court awareness" sharpened for the game.

Did your "court awareness" tell you that they might want a TO to set up a final shot?

Chuck

[Edited by ChuckElias on Jan 6th, 2003 at 08:39 AM]

I've learned to sneak a peek myself especially in crunch time. Like Chuck said though...if you have to bust it...TRUST YOUR P.

Another time I've learned to be aware is when teams go on runs. In 2 games this weekend, I had teams go on 10 or 12 point runs. After about 3 or 4 unanswered baskets in a row by Team A, I started taking a peek towards Team B's bench after A scored again....and again....and again. Hello...if you've just been scored on 5 straight possessions without scoring yourself....you may want to burn a time out!!

They didnt....but I was ready.

As a coach, if it is a tight game situation like that and a timeout is something that we really need to get in, I'll make sure that both me, and a player, usually a captain, is also calling it. Is this situation, a coach can easily call a kid over to him during the first throw and tell him to call a timeout if the second shot goes in or we get the rebound. Yeah, you probably should have looked over to the bench, but the coach also needs to do a better job of coaching.

Rich,
If either of us misses the request, then we both missed the request.
From Trail on the free-throw, I feel I have a better angle to see the bench than I have when I am Lead.
Take the peek.
mick

not your fault
 

In that situation, it should've been easy for the coach to communicate his timeout request earlier. If I know I'm going to want one, I'll say something like, "I'll call timeout on a make." I still ask for it as soon as the ball goes in, and he knows to look for it. If I can't get the officials' attention, I'll have one of my players go stand next to the trail official and tell him she will be calling a timeout when the shot is made or the rebound is secured.

Just one clarification:

The team was going on defense, not setting up for a final shot of their own.

I am usually good in anticipating a timeout situation, especially at the end of the game, but I missed this one.

Rich

Right, right. My bad again. They'd just scored. Duh.

Chuck

My feeling is that it is the coach's job to make an official notice the time-out request. I agree that there are obvious times when I look for it, but mostly I have players on the court to be watching.

Re: not your fault
 

Nice "game management" by you coach.... This is good "preventative" coaching! :D