Pauses & Timeouts

Last updated Sep 3, 2026

In this section (5)

Pause only on a dead ball — a made basket, a foul, a timeout, out of bounds. Never pause during live play; it freezes an advantage in place.
Say why. A quick note in chat — "controller," "phone," "back in two" — keeps a pause from looking like a stall.
Keep them short and rare. Pauses are for real life interrupting the game, not for icing a shooter or resetting a bad possession.
Use in-game timeouts as your team's tactical stops; they are part of the game and fully legal.