Excessive time-outs

[Oklahoma official]

Late in game, Team A is out of time-outs, with 5 seconds on the play clock, the QB calls a time-out. All of team A players head to sideline because their QB called a time-out. We had a flag for delay of game, but allowed them to have their time-out. Correct or incorrect?

[LeRoy]

Your crew was 50/50.
SECTION 5 CHARGED AND OFFICIAL’S TIME-OUTS — INTERMISSIONS
ART. 1 . . . Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each
half.

PENALTY: Delay of game – – 5 yards;

But I would NOT let them still have the Time-out. The best way to prevent this is talk as a crew on timeout's remaining for each team and NOT let them take one.

[ajmc]

To some it may sound like overkill, but a sound mechanic regarding TOs is for the entire crew to write down the clock time for each charged TO on their game card and confirm which team called TO and how many TOs each team has left after EVERY called TO. If there is a question about when time outs were called, providing the exact (game) time of what quarter and what # player called TO serves as an argument killing answer.

The wing officials should directly advise their respective Head Coaches (whether they appreciate the information, or not) at the end of EVERY TO, for either team, how many TOs BOTH teams have remaining. After that 3rd TO is taken, the crew confirms with each other who's TOs have been exausted and both coaches should be advised of who is out of TOs.

This only takes a couple of seconds, and quickly becomes consistent and a habit and keeps everyone updated on what the situation is with remaining TOs.

When a player, or coach, who has already used their 3 TOs, requests another, the simple and direct answer is, "No", and do not stop the clock. If you've kept your sideline updated on TOs throughout the game, any and all confusion resulting from yoiur "No" is the responsibility of the team.

If you should have a brain fart, and instintively react to a requested TO by stopping the clock, the instant you realize it, you simply restart the clock as emphatically as necessary. Incorrectly stopping the clock is YOUR mistake, not the team's even though they asked you to stop the clock, so there is NO penalty, other than you buying the first round after the game.

[Bullycon]

Originally Posted by ajmc

The wing officials should directly advise their respective Head Coaches (whether they appreciate the information, or not) at the end of EVERY TO, for either team, how many TOs BOTH teams have remaining.

An excellent mechanic that I will work on adopting. I've always done pretty well as giving coaches the number of timeouts they have left, but that's not always enough. I had a middle school game two weeks ago where Home was driving late in the 2nd quarter, and called their final timeout with about 16 seconds left. The Visitor sideline, my sideline, was going nuts about that being their fourth timeout. I checked with each of the other officials. We all had Home with three timeouts taken. Had I been giving regular updates, maybe that "controversy" wouldn't have happened.

Amusingly, after Home took their 2nd timeout in the second half, I heard a Visitor coach say, "That's their last timeout right?" Another responded, "Yeah, they're out. They've used all seven." I probably should have corrected them at that point, but didn't since I was moving away from them and they weren't asking me. I just thought to myself, "Yep, and they're getting ready to call '#8'."

I've always been good about writing down quarter and times in middle school games, and even varsity games in which I am simply there to observe. I need to remember to do it during youth games, too. Yesterday, I had a youth game where I reported to the coaches that they had used both of their timeouts late in the 4th. One asked, "When did we use our first?" I couldn't answer, since I hadn't written down the time. I had just put a check mark to indicate it had been taken. I just said, "It was in the 3rd quarter," because that was as accurate as I could get. Fortunately, they said, "Oh yeah, that's right."

If you should have a brain fart, and instintively react to a requested TO by stopping the clock, the instant you realize it, you simply restart the clock as emphatically as necessary. Incorrectly stopping the clock is YOUR mistake, not the team's even though they asked you to stop the clock, so there is NO penalty, other than you buying the first round after the game.

Agreed. This ain't basketball. We don't do technical fouls for extra timeouts. No timeout. No penalty. Keep the clock running and keep going.

[Texas Aggie]

NCAA: will not acknowledge request. If it happens, start play back immediately. If that means the play clock starts again, so be it.

[Forksref]

If you see a really tall guy in a Maize jersey with Blue trim who signals for a TO, ignore it and save him the embarrassment.