That oh...crap...feeling
 

Got to experience that this last Saturday at the end of a close girl's JV game. Home team is up by 5 or so points when there is a scrum near the division line for a loose ball. Home team player reaches for the ball but doesn't control it when the home coach starts screaming for a time out. Ball is never controlled by home player and a visiting team player recovers it and scores an uncontested layup.

Ball is collected by the home player and is at her disposable when I hear the screaming for a timeout again. Thinking it was the home coach, I hit my whistle and grant it...realizing it was the visiting team coach. I wanted to disappear into the floor.

I told my partner what we had, gave the visiting team the timeout (their last) and was kicking myself for screwing this one up. Visiting team coach knew he got away with one based upon the look on his face.

Fortunately the erroneously granted timeout was not a factor in the game but I am still miffed I screwed it up. I at least know exactly what I did wrong...serves me right for assuming something.

The best part of this situation was my partner's reaction after I granted the TO. He could tell I was upset with myself and told me "Hey it's over now. At least you knew right away what you did wrong. You've called a good game, forget it and finish it strong. Keep your head in the game."

After the game he gave me some tips about handling those situations and we ended up having a detailed post game, which was a treat in itself. It's nice to work with quality partners like that.

Guess I'll be adding that to the list of officiating mistakes I never want to make again.

Well, it says a lot about what kind of official you are that you let this (relatively) minor mixup get you upset at yourself. And, like your partner said, you know what you did, so now you can learn from it and move on.

I've done a lot better this year of hearing "timeout," pausing in my mind what is going on at the exact moment I hear it, taking a quick glance at the bench if a player is in control, and then granting the timeout, regardless of what's happened after. I've had a few times this year where I've heard the timeout request, and during the period between me hearing it and granting it, the ball has squirted out, and the opposing coach complained that the player didn't have control. "Doesn't matter, coach. Player had control when the timeout was requested. Just because there was a lapse between the request and my whistle doesn't make the request invalid."

Always remember you dictate the pace of things out there on the court, so just slow down half a tick and things will run a bit smoother.

Learn and move on. Such mistakes motivate us not to make them in again, particularly when we move to more meaningful games.

VC's request didn't start when the ball was dead? Sometimes they grab it quickly, but you can legitimately grant the TO because the request was made in a timely fashion.

I know you know this -- just pointing it out for general consumption. Of course, you should "visually confirm" that the (proper) coach is requesting the TO.

I don't think it did. I didn't hear the scream from the VC coach until the player had the ball at her disposal already.

It probably started while the ball was dead. I wouldn't worry about this too much -- other than to say that this is a standard time for a coach to request a timeout and having a lot of awareness there is crucial.

That's precisely where I was heading.

Fiasco "Doesn't matter, coach. Player had control when the timeout was requested. Just because there was a lapse between the request and my whistle doesn't make the request invalid."

This is a great line that I use a couple of times a year.

Well that's one reason why I don't think I should have granted it because I was expecting a TO request but didn't hear anything until after the inbounder had the ball for a couple of seconds. The VC coach did not have an "indoor voice" and I'd be surprised if I missed a TO request from him during the dead ball.

I'm over it now but was thankful for the pick me up from my P and the lessons learned. I'll get there yet.

I agree, but to take it up a level & not have that conversation with the coach at all, I've started saying it at the spot. "Before white had team control, timeout blue."

5-8 ...
 

Time-out occurs and the clock, if running, shall be stopped when an official: Grants a player’s/head coach’s oral or visual request for a time-out, such request being granted only when: The ball is at the disposal or in control of a player of his/her team.

I'm confused. BillyMac, are you saying that the timeout can only be GRANTED (not requested) when the appropriate team is in control of the ball? In otherwords, LoudWhistle shouldn't be doing what he says he does in granting the TO after team control has changed?

I'm granting a timeout when it's properly requested. If it takes me a split second to put air in my whistle, oh well.

A question for the veterans:

I get the impression that turning to verify the source of a time out request is a relatively new thing. Were you ever taught to whistle a time out request ASAP, to make sure the whistle sounds before the ball becomes loose?

Allowing someone who isn't a player to call for a timeout is a relatively new thing.