Only the application of a rule during the last live-ball play may be challenged, not the judgment of the official or whether a call was missed. The assumption will be

that the officials have applied the rules correctly unless the coach can convince them otherwise. The official will not be asked to prove that the call is correct or to find

the rule in the rulebook. The procedure is as follows:

• The coach waits for the whistle to end play and requests a double horn. If play resumes before the double horn, no challenge can be made.

• The referee and both head coaches enter the table area. If the coach does not convince the referee that an error has been made—or if the call

cannot be challenged—the challenge is ended. It is expected that the conference will not last longer than two minutes.

• The officials will confer privately if necessary. The referee informs the coaches of the decision, which is final. If the coach continues to argue, a

conduct foul or unsportsmanlike conduct foul may be assessed.

• The official will either correct the situation or charge the coach with a time-out. The challenging team may use the remaining time in the time-out,

if any. The officials will then blow the whistle to summon the teams to the field and start the 20-second timer.

• If the challenge is denied and the coach had no timeouts, a technical foul will be assessed (either possession or a 30- second time-serving penalty), and play will restart immediately.

• No challenge can be made once the game ends. Unless there has been a timekeeper error, no adjustments are made to the game clock regardless of the referee’s ruling.

Examples:

• Player A1 was not wearing arm pads, and the official assesses a technical foul. Coach B challenges, claiming the correct call is a non-releasable personal

foul, and the officials agree. Team B is not charged with a time-out and play resumes immediately.

• Attackman A1 interferes with goalie B1 during a loose ball. The play-on ends, and the officials award the ball to Team B in the alley. Coach B challenges

the ruling, stating there should be a free clear. The coach is incorrect, so the officials charge Team B with a time-out.

• The officials call a slash on B1. Coach B challenges, stating that there was no foul because B1 did not hit the opponent hard enough for a slash to be

called. Since this is an issue of judgment, not rules interpretation, the officials charge Team B with a time-out.