Who has the ability to call TO's by rule?

I'm under the understanding that anyone on the field (QB, Receivers, whoever) OR the head coach on the sideline is allowed to call timouts. If that is correct, there should have been SOMEONE chasing down a referee, getting in their face to call timeout after the tackle of Ridley on 3rd down (with 27 seconds, right? Usually in most games I watch this takes a matter of seconds (5 maybe). How in the hell did it take 17 seconds to get a timeout called. If we would have had say 20 seconds on the clock, make the first down on 4th and 26 and trot the FG team out with plenty of time. This all arranged of course during that last timeout, during the last play like chickens with their heads cut off.