R's: How do you keep track of TOs on the fly?

[Joe Stack]

Obviously, we're writing them down as they occur, but of those that do, how do you keep real time track of teams' TO's so you can say, when one is called, "its the __ charged team timeout of the half..."?

Ideas?

[InsideTheStripes]

By confirming the TOs remaining with my crew mates coming out of each time out, I'm able to keep the count fresh in my head.

[AIAFA171]

Marking them down on the game card?
maybe adding qtr & time remaining so you can re construct what is happening in case of doubt.
Over here in Italy we also have the issue that if you are not keeping clock it's more difficult, but it's an occasion to chat with fellow officials on on going game item so ... why not
ciao

[Osric Pureheart]

A lot of the time it sticks in my head when I write it down, but I always tell my umpire "be ready to remind me what timeout it is" in case it doesn't.

[Joe Stack]

maybe adding qtr & time remaining so you can re construct what is happening in case of doubt.

Oh, really? I guess I always miss the part on the card where it says time, quarter, and player calling. Never knew what to do with that.

Sheesh.

I'm asking for helpful answers, please. If you aren't sure what the question is, ask for clarification before assuming it was a dumb question or the person asking it isn't knowledgable about something simple.

I don't want to make an announcement, similar to the one made in the Clemson/FSU game (I think it was; forgive me if wrong) with the incorrect status of timeouts. I would like to be able to give a correct status before looking at the card. I was wondering if there was a trick to keeping track of them perhaps on your fingers so you could give the announcement and then write it down for official use.

[HLinNC]

Geez Joe you crawl the  guy for his answer but lets face it, there is no magic TRICK to help you remember anything.  How do you remember what groceries to pick up?  You make a list.  How do you remember to pick up the dry cleaning?  You look at the ticket.

You either do remember or you don't and if you don't no big whoop.  You mark your card. If you have to look at it, you look at it.  If a coach asks me on the sideline how many timeouts he has, I ALWAYS pull my card to check, even though I'm absolutely sure, even though the crew has just communicated it to each other.

Or just tie a string around your finger.

[clearwall]

Wouldnt a quick glance at the scoreboard help too?

[Kalle]

If you don't like checking your card, how about using two down indicators in the hand you don't use for the down indicator?

[James]

I think you really took the wrong attitude to AIAFA171's answer.
Note he wrote that he is in Italy. It is possible that he has different types of game cards as you, or makes up his own - in which case it is quite possible that they don't contain the same information.
I think you should slow down and not assume his answer is as dumb as you seem to think it is.

I'll tell you that my game cards only have 6 boxes on each side and doesn't give room for quater or player calling the timeout. I write the time in one of the 6 boxes (3 for each half with a double line between halves) and a little check in the corner if it is 2nd or 4th quarter.

As a side note, do you not write down the time on your card before making the announcement? That would seem to solve the problem - but I could see that it doesn't look as good.

[Osric Pureheart]

Announcement ASAP, so that anyone watching isn't left guessing what just happened.

[AlUpstateNY]

Oh, really? I guess I always miss the part on the card where it says time, quarter, and player calling. Never knew what to do with that.

First, when you ask a question, think about the answer you receive before rejecting it, especially when you're choosing to be snippy about it.  The above answer was logical, simple and most of all CORRECT.  I don't know what "game card" you're using, but it should have two sides, one for home one for visitor. 

For a TO granted to the Home Team at 2:34 of the 2nd period by #47 writing
"2:34-2-47 tells you all you'll never need to know and shouldn't take up a lot of room, or you could write smaller.  It's also a great idea for each official to confirm with each other how mant TO's each team has remaining after EVERY TO, by either team.  If you're on a wing, it's helpful to share that confirmation detail with your sideline after EVERY TO.

[Rulesman]

Wouldnt a quick glance at the scoreboard help too?

That's the WORST place to look!

[mbyron]

That's the WORST place to look!

Not in Ohio. We're supposed to stop the game and fix the board if we notice the TO's are incorrect.

[BryanM67]

This is what has worked for me as far as keeping track of Timeouts and everything else.  I use a notepad (the size that will fit in my shirt pocket).

Before each game (varsity or pee-wee), I will draw this up on a piece of paper:

H - (color of home team)    |  V - (color of visiting team)
---------------------------|---------------------------
OPT                                |
                                      |
-------------------------------------------------------
SC                                  |
                                      |
                                      |
--------------------------------------------------------
TO1                                 |
                                      |
                                       |
---------------------------------------------------------
TO2                                  |
                                       |
                                       |
---------------------------------------------------------
USC                                  |
                                        |

OPT is the options from the coin-toss.  The team that won the toss, I put a W within a circle.  I also record who defers, who kicks, who receives, who is facing toward the SB (or away from SB).

SC is where I record scores.  Example.. if team scores FG, TD conversion failed, TD 2 point conversion successful.. it will have 3, 6, 8 (I add the number after each score)

TO1 is the timeouts for first half.  TO2 is timeouts for second half. When a team takes a time-out, I record the quarter along with the time remaining.  I verify with the other officials how many time outs are left for each team.

USC are any unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.  Have to keep track of those since 2 to the same player/coach results in ejection.

That is what works for me - but I suggest trying a format that works for you.

[Rulesman]

Not in Ohio. We're supposed to stop the game and fix the board if we notice the TO's are incorrect.

You just validated my point.

[clearwall]

You just validated my point.

I would think it would be a good place to start. If you were unsure, but fairly certain 2 were left and you saw 2, it would give you more confidence that your assumption was correct.

[110]

I use the little plastic, erase-able cards, as do many of my peers. Most of us use one, in addition to the official card, to keep track of time outs.

It's a good policy for the stripes to huddle during a TO to discuss various elements of the game, and among other things, talk about who has what left for timeouts. Indeed, that's a good thing to do early in the TO - "Blue has one left, Red has two."

[busman]

Joe - don't take offense at the answer.  Just because the card you use doesn't have that space on it, you aren't limited to what is on the card.  Personally, i haven't used a card in years because of that very reason - they don't give me room to write what i want to know.  I use 3 3"x5" index cards, folded in half.  One is for captains, and toss info, the second is for timeouts (always recording the time, quarter, and who called it), and the third is for yardline, down and distance between quarters.  After that, I then have the backsides to record anything else I need - ejections, penalties if we have to keep them, etc.

[JRutledge]

I use the little plastic, erase-able cards, as do many of my peers. Most of us use one, in addition to the official card, to keep track of time outs.

It's a good policy for the stripes to huddle during a TO to discuss various elements of the game, and among other things, talk about who has what left for timeouts. Indeed, that's a good thing to do early in the TO - "Blue has one left, Red has two."

I was always taught to not huddle during timeouts. But we do communicate with each other about the timeout situation each timeout. That is usually what helps me remember.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Oh, really? I guess I always miss the part on the card where it says time, quarter, and player calling. Never knew what to do with that.

Sheesh.

I'm asking for helpful answers, please. If you aren't sure what the question is, ask for clarification before assuming it was a dumb question or the person asking it isn't knowledgable about something simple.

I don't want to make an announcement, similar to the one made in the Clemson/FSU game (I think it was; forgive me if wrong) with the incorrect status of timeouts. I would like to be able to give a correct status before looking at the card. I was wondering if there was a trick to keeping track of them perhaps on your fingers so you could give the announcement and then write it down for official use.

Sometimes the most helpful advice is what is very simple. If you are upset by the answer, then why did you even ask the question? Everyone is different and what was suggested is the very thing that helps me remember. Then again I am a middle official and really do not have to deal with a coach asking this on a regular basis.

Peace