Television timeout

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A television timeout (or TV timeout) is a break in a sporting event to allow commercials to be shown. This has the advantage of allowing the networks to take a commercial break without causing viewers to miss part of the action. By their nature, TV timeouts can only be used in sports that have breaks in play anyway, so they are not used in sports such as football (soccer) or rugby.

[edit] Use by sport

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  • American football: after a score, after a change of possession, when a timeout is called. There is no TV timeout immediately after a touchdown; it is taken after a conversion has been attempted.
  • Australian rules football: after a goal has been scored, before the umpire bounces the ball in the centre square. There is no TV timeout after a point is scored.
  • Baseball: at the end of a half-inning, during a pitching change.
  • Bowling: variable
  • College basketball: at the first dead ball after 4 minute intervals (16:00, 12:00, 8:00 and 4:00).
  • Curling: at the conclusion of each end. The game generally resumes before the commercial break ends, so when the broadcast comes back on a few rocks will have already been thrown.
  • Ice hockey: during stoppages of play, at the discretion of the TV timeout coordinator and typically at 5 minute intervals (15:00, 10:00 and 5:00) in each period. One of the linesmen wears a pager that alerts him when a TV timeout should be taken. TV timeouts are rarely, if ever, taken during overtime.
  • Tennis: during the break between odd-numbered games when players change ends.
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