Time-out (sport)

Moreover, the game clock runs continuously in each half, even if extenuating circumstances compel the referee to halt play for an extended period of time, unless and until the match is abandoned.

Since there is no clock in baseball, the main effect of a time out is to temporarily prevent the defensive team from tagging base runners out or delivering a pitch as well as to prevent base runners from advancing.

Under certain (uncommon) circumstances specified by the rules, umpires are required to call time out, even while a play is in progress, such as certain cases of interference.

Unlike many other sports, the rules of baseball do not limit time outs, either by number or duration.

Other than coaching visits, which the umpires ensure stay brief, timeouts theoretically have no time limits.

First, once in his "set" position, the pitcher may stop play by stepping off the rubber prior to his windup.

Under Major League Baseball (MLB) rules, a team is limited to one visit per inning and a maximum of three per game.

Under NFHS (high school) rules, a team receives three mound visits for the game and can use more than one an inning.

If a team exceeds the limit in either MLB or high school ball, the pitcher must be removed immediately.

Unlike the men's game, all unused 30-second timeouts carry over to all subsequent periods.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), teams are allowed seven timeouts, each of 1 minute, 15 seconds.

If a request for a timeout is made with none remaining, the offending team is assessed a technical foul and loses possession.

[7] The changes sped up the pace of play and addressed a common fan complaint that the last few minutes of a game dragged due to excessive timeouts.

A time-out request may be made to the scorer's table at any time, but it may only be granted by a referee when the ball is dead and the game clock is not running.

In FIVB World Competitions, there is an additional 30-second technical time-out in sets 1–2 when the sum of both scores is equal to 21.

[11] During the 2009 season of the Indian Premier League of T20 cricket, the halfway point of each innings contained a seven-and-a-half minute television timeout, two-thirds of which were devoted to additional advertising time.

After complaints by viewers and players (criticizing its commercial purpose and for breaking the flow of the game), the following season replaced them with two sponsored and compulsory two-and-a-half minute "strategic timeouts" that must be taken by each side at certain points during the innings; one must be taken by the bowling team between the 6th to 10th overs, and the batting team between the 13th to 16th overs.

[12][13][14] In floorball, each team is allowed one thirty-second time-out per game, which may only be taken during a normal stoppage of play.

[16] The use and rationing of time-outs is a major part of clock management strategy; calling time-out stops the clock (which normally is running between plays except in the case of a penalty, an incomplete pass, officials requiring time to re-spot the ball and/or down markers, or when the ball is run out of bounds), extending the time a team has to score.

If overtime is required in the NFL, each team is given two timeouts during a ten-minute regular season sudden-death period (overtime periods are fifteen minutes in the playoffs), while in college football each team gets one timeout per possession.

These include: A common practice in gridiron football is to call a timeout right before a potential game-winning or game-tying field goal, a strategy known as "icing the kicker".

In theory, this strategy is based on the presumption that the kicker has prepared himself mentally to make the kick only to have the timeout break his concentration.

It was difficult to hear the whistle and the play continued, with Titans kicker Rob Bironas badly shanking a 56-yard field goal.

In ice hockey, each team is allowed one thirty-second time-out per game, which may only be taken during a normal stoppage of play.

In the National Hockey League (NHL), only one team is permitted a time out during stoppage.