How not to miss a timeout request
 

Last night I was working HS girl's varsity, two-man crew. With about 10 seconds left in the game, the home team scores to pull within two point. After a timeout, I'm the new lead. The home team is pressing, and I'm standing near midcourt tableside. My partner is near the far sideline and off the endline as the new trail. The home team steals the throw-in and passes to a girl near midcourt and the far sideline -- in my primary now as the new trail, so my focus is on her and I'm moving out onto the court to referee the ball. She then makes a bad pass that sails out of bounds. All of this happens within a couple of seconds. At that point, the home team coach tells me that she's been trying to call a timeout. This was a big game, the crowd was loud, the gym is one that has a high ceiling and is echo-y, and the coach does not have a loud voice. I simply didn't hear her.

My question -- is there something that I/we could have done to catch that timeout? I don't think I can be peeking behind me to see if she's requesting a timeout since I have to keep my eyes on the girls on the court in a tight, pressing situation. Is this something my partner should have picked up? Or is this just yet another reason why three-man crews are vastly superior to two? How could we have handled this better, mechanics-wise or other-wise?

Thanks for the advice!

Your first job is to the floor - you did the right thing. So your only tool is your hearing.

If your partner can visually pick it up, then great. He's opposite side and in the corner. That's a tough one to pick up. Understanding the game and situation will help, so perhaps in his eye movements, he could include the coach every other eye shift.

If you don't hear her, then perhaps it's a $40 call to get that timeout.

So yes, this is one benefit to 3-man.

Lead needs to get this if the trail is table side.

We had a game earlier this season where a coach got on us for not recognizing the timeout quicker.

What's left out of this story is that the coach never left his seat on the bench -- his assistant got whacked in the second quarter and apparently he didn't realize he could stand to request a timeout. And the timeout was wanted in a very non-standard time where we'd be actively looking to the bench to see a request.

And yet, this was our fault.

I almost cried as I consoled myself in my post-game beer.

All the more reason for education.

Had similar earlier this year. Coach wanted a timeout and didn't get it. I told her, "when the gym is loud, I can't hear you. But maybe I will see you - so give the TO signal and be out in the open with it."

I agree that your first priority is to officiate the ball in your new PCA. The only other thing you might consider doing is putting your "coaching hat" on and, understanding the situation (team is down two, under 10 secs, just got a steal, and they need a big bucket to tie) anticipate a time out coming from the coach to stop the clock to draw up a play.

The only point that I make to a coach when this happens is, did any of your players hear you asking for the TO?

No, or they too would have been asking for the TO.

Is that the first hashtag use on the forum?
 

Nice #olderthanilook.

Had a partner who, in a big game, told the coaches in pre-game meeting, "when things get loud we will not be able to hear you calling time-out. Get big, get visible or have a player request it." Not making a big deal about it, just saying this is the way it is.

We had a similar situation last year where a coach was given a T early in the game for a uniform infraction (don't get me started). Then as the game went on I ended up calling a T on a player for language. So late in the game where he was not going to win at that point, he requests a timeout while sitting down and I could not at all hear him as I was literally right in front of the bench. He was more visual than vocal and my partner properly saw the request and granted the timeout. Then the coach immediately tried to suggest I ignored him on purpose. Then when I was asking him what he was saying as I was standing right in front of the bench, he tried to accuse me of "going after him."

To make a long story short, there were "Special Reports" written by me because of something the Principal said to me while the game was going on. And all of these was my fault for the uniform technicals where I had almost nothing to do with the actual penalty they incurred as I did not follow the policy personally we were asked to use to come to a conclusion a uniform was actually illegal. Long story short, I do not work that conference at all anymore (Thank God) and I will never take a game in the near future outside of the suburbs again at the high school level as a normal practice.

I just love how coaches make something they do not understand into some thing you did as an official wrong.

Peace

Don't normally get to gloat over FIBA rules but none of this is an issue as timeouts are only during dead balls and the table deals with timeout requests.

ty, 99

You should be ready for a timeout at end of game situations. Although, if I read the sitch right, she was in the backcourt (after the made basket) with you... you couldn't see her. She should have made sure you saw the request. So IMO, you should be aware and ready to grant a timeout... anticipate that she may call one and check the bench, but you have to first and foremost referee the live ball action.

Agreed!

Wasn't it the FIBA Rule that created the controversy between Russia and the USA in 1972? Not sure I would be gloating about that considering all the confusion that called. And I am not an American that thinks we got hosed either. I just saw a documentary that went through the rule and how the rule was apparently screwed up by the table. I will take the occasional coach getting upset about this than what happened with all the confusion I saw in the Olympics.

Peace

My hearing is not that great, and especially if I have a girls varsity game, women's voices just aren't as strong. I liked the comment about being very visible with request rather than just a voice yelling for one. I've told coaches before to yell my name if they can't get me. I find that helps.

Goes without saying be aware when you sense a TO is coming.

+1 with Rich on crying in postgame beer lamenting I missed it.