Section 10. Duties of Timers
The official timer shall:
Art. 1. Be provided with a game clock to be used for timing periods and
intermissions and a digital stopwatch. The game clock and digital stopwatch shall
be placed so that they may be seen by both the timers and the shot-clock operator.
Art. 2. Operate the game clock.
Art. 3. Notify the referee more than three minutes before each half is to start.
Art. 4. Signal the scorers three minutes before starting time.
Art. 5. Record playing time and time of stoppages.
Art. 6. Notify an official when the timer has information pertaining to a
timing mistake.
Art. 7. Start the game clock as prescribed in Rule 5-10.
Art. 8. Start the digital stopwatch for a charged timeout, to replace a
disqualified player or to remedy a blood situation, and signal the referee when
it is time to resume play.
Art. 9. Sound a warning horn 15 seconds before the expiration of the
15-second time limit to replace a disqualified player and before the expiration
of the 20-second time limit or replacement of an injured player. The signal
also shall be sounded at the end of the time limit to replace a disqualified or
injured player.
Art. 10. Sound a warning horn 15 seconds before the expiration of an
intermission or charged timeout. A second signal shall be given at the
expiration of an intermission or a charged timeout. Play shall be resumed
immediately upon the sounding of the second signal. (Exception 4-31.2)
Art. 11. Stop the game clock as prescribed in Rule 5-11.
Art. 12. Stop the game clock after a successful field goal with 59.9 seconds
or less remaining in the game or any extra period.
Art. 13. Sound the game-clock horn when the ball has become dead and any
of the following have been brought to the scorer’s attention by a head coach
or table official (includes an approved standby official):
a. The possibility of a correctable error situation as in Rule 2-12;
b. Whether a timing, scoring or alternating-possession mistake needs to
be prevented or rectified; or
c. To determine whether a flagrant 1 or 2 personal foul or flagrant 2
contact technical foul or contact dead ball technical foul occurred.
Art. 14. Indicate with the red light or LED lights the expiration of playing
time in each half or extra period. This signal shall terminate player activity.
When a red light is not present, the indicator that shall terminate players’
activity shall be the sounding of the game-clock horn.
Art. 15. Enter the playing court or use other means to immediately notify the
referee when the timers’ red light signal or LED lights fail to operate or be seen or
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when a game-clock horn fails to sound or is inaudible. When, in the meantime,
a goal has been made or a foul has occurred, the referee shall consult the timers.
a. When the timers agree that time expired before a try for field goal was
in flight, the goal shall not count.
b. When the timers agree that the period ended before a foul occurred as
in Rule 5-7.3.c, the foul shall be disregarded unless it was a flagrant 2
technical foul or a contact dead ball technical foul.
c. When the timers disagree about the expiration of time before a
successful try for field goal or foul, the goal shall count or the foul shall