Quote:
Originally Posted by Camron Rust
It isn't all or nothing. It is definite or nothing. That is how the rules say to handle it. If they want us to guess and make up something, they'd change the rule to remove definite knowledge and say just wing it.
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Maybe that's what the rulebook states, but the NFHS interpretation states otherwise. It's definite, or nothing, or an educated guess in this specific circumstance:
Basketball Rules Interpretations - 2009-10
SITUATION 11: Team B scores a goal to take the lead by one point. A1 immediately requests and is granted a timeout with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Following the time-out, Team A is awarded the ball for a throw-in from anywhere along the end line. A1 passes the ball to A2, who is also outside the boundary; A2 passes the ball to A1 who is inbounds and running the length of the court. The timer mistakenly starts the clock when A2 touches A1’s pass while standing outside the boundary. An official notices the clock starting on A2’s touch (c), as soon as A1 catches the throw-in pass. RULING: This is an obvious timing mistake and may be corrected. In (c), the official may put the correct time on the clock,
but must make some allowance for the touching by A1 – likely 10ths of a second, if displayed. The ball is put in play nearest to where it was located when the stoppage occurred to correct the timing mistake. A “do over” is not permitted in (c), since the throw-in had ended. (4-36; 5-10-1)
Also, what we do to correctly answer a written question on a rules exam may be little different than what we do, with our partner's input, in a real game situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
... very few times have I had anyone complain that much about the time when we make an adjustment ... I also always consult with partners when I can and usually we can come to some idea.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
... you can take some time off the clock based on what you know should have gone off. Not an exact science but it would be reasonable to always take a second off in those situations. You might take off more if there were multiple dribbles or slow movement up the court ... And you can ask for some information from table people and sometimes even a coach or two might have some insight ...
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Sometimes we just have to take the bull by the horns and officiate the game according to intent and purpose to the best to our ability under the circumstance presented to us in a real game of basketball, as opposed to taking a written test. I know that it's slippery slope ("What other rules do you ignore BillyMac"), but sometimes we have to try to do what's seems fair to everybody. Note I that said sometimes. I'm not a big loose with the rules guy, but sometimes we just have to do what we have to do.
Hopefully the ruling slips under the radar and the phone doesn't ring the next morning. If it does, then we go the mea culpa route.
That being said, I'm using definite counts as much as
reasonably possible, as advocated by Camron Rust ("Eight seconds of a ten second count. Four seconds of a five second count. Two seconds of a three second count. Plus the two seconds I counted in my head once I realized the clock hadn't started. We're running down sixteen seconds off the game clock. What? Twenty seconds? Sorry coach. That's all we can run off with definite knowledge. I'm not running down twenty seconds.").