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.

I don't think a rule screw up would permit that type of screw up.

You have players to officiate. Coach should have told her players to call a time-out if they steal the ball. Or have the school district pay for a 3rd official :D

My point is that any rule has its problems. And that rule obviously created a problem in the application. I used to love the fact coaches could request a timeout, but their reaction is the reason we should take that away during live ball situations.

Peace

Luckily the rule in question in the 72 incident is no longer the rule and the timeout can only be granted before the first or after the last. So there would not be a reason to interrupt the game and cause the confusion. Also there would now be no running clock in the last 2 minutes so the need to inbound a live bal in a late game would not cause problems.

I had this happen to me tonight. Boys JV. I'm the T tableside and I'm administering the 10-second count. The only thing l I could hear was the visiting coach wanting the 10 second violation (I was only at 7 FWIW). At the next stoppage of play, Home Coach wanted to know why I didn't grant his timeout request.

My takeaway is that I should try to position myself so my peripheral vision is better for seeing a visual request.

I've had the same thing happen to me recently. Girls HS game, female HC with a soft voice who was trying to get our attention (2-man in MA) because she wanted a TO.

I eventually heard her and granted the TO, but more time came off the clock then she would have liked.

This will happen as long as coaches insist on retaining rules that allow them to call time outs when the ball is live, especially in 2 person crews.

Time outs should be called by players when the ball is live.

My story: First half,. End of the court away from the bench. Scramble for the ball. Eventually a held ball. As I run past the coach, she asks, "DIdn't you hear me asking for a TO?"

Second half. Same spot on the court. SImilar play. I'm listneing harder. I hear a faint "Time out" coming from the far bench area. 'TWEET". "I didn't ask for a TO." :face palm:

Reminds me of the coach yelling "FIVE OUT" during some heated, contested play. Why would coaches name plays that sound like "TIME OUT"?

Another one happened last week -- as my partner was going by, a coach held up one single fist over his head. Apparently, to him this is a timeout request cause when my partner ran by, the coach got really animated because my partner missed "the fist."

Game earlier this year: One team had a play called "Five out", the other team had a play called "Side out".

Or the coach last night who stood up with her fists spread wide apart (think: double foul signal)... which apparently meant she wanted a timeout.

I have to wonder why the players simply don't mirror the coach's request.

Most players now apparently don't know that they can request a timeout. I often mention this in pregame to coaches and captains.

I've never met a player that didn't know they could request a timeout. The only time, in at least the games I work, where I see this in play is during a loose ball where a player will grab the ball and ask for a timeout to save possession.

I think you don't see players calling time because they view is as in the pervue of coach...and they also don't want to erroneously call a timeout if they themselves mistake the intentions of the coach. Also, in situations where it may be difficult for officials to grant a request, tend to be intense situations where a player will have his undivided attention on.

+1

When the ball passes through the basket, if at all possible (and IMO it almost always is), peek toward the benches.

One rule that I'd like to see changed
 

I would like the table to be able to signal a time out request with a horn.

And that is the reason they should give the request. We can and have misunderstood their request and it has further consequences when we make that mistake. And just like anything else, a coach should coach up his players to make that request properly when told to. I think all JAR is saying is that kids often have a coach requesting a timeout and players ignore the coach but then we are expected to be paying attention to coaches more than the players do.

I just want to change the rule where we cannot give a timeout unless play is stopped or a dead ball.

Peace

Horrible idea.

Too often the coach is screaming for a timeout during a loose ball.

I'm not saying they shouldn't...just relaying my thoughts on why players don't call timeouts.

I understand where you are coming from. I really do.

Peace

Rather than merely making the request themselves, I once saw players point at their coach, who was signaling the timeout.

In 2-man, I think the trail should always get this. If the trial is table-side he should be close enough to both benches to hear an audible request. When the trail is opposite the table, he should be able to see a visual request. Certainly, the visual signal is easier to recognize than an audible one, but some awareness of the game situation will put you in a position to expect an audible request.

That is great in theory, but you may hear multiple people requesting a timeout and not one is the head coach. And the rule only requires the head coach to make that request. I have seen players or fans yelling while the head coach does nothing. Even in a 3-man it is often the opposite table officials that recognize the request. And mot of all not all coaches request in the same way to make themselves known. You can have all the game awareness in the world and not hear the coach. And not every coach has the same philosophy on calling timeouts either or wants them in the same situations.

Peace

Similar for me the other night. As the T, I could barely hear the coach and she was standing right next to me.....then, getting irate. "Coach, you gotta let me know louder than that."