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Ref 99; below is an article I wrote for my Canadian association. It may be of some help. You may not agree with everything but it will be something to ponder anyway.
SHOT CLOCK MANAGEMENT
By JP Richard
One sign of a good basketball official is his or her awareness of the shot clock during the course of a game. At the college level, officials are expected to notice any shot clock discrepancies and to correct them during a game. Since Canada Basketball is seemingly pushing forward for one set of rules, it is quite possible that most officials will be dealing with a shot clock in the near future. This article may be helpful to these officials as well as any others who want to improve this aspect of game management.
Please note the use of the term “shot clock” in this article as opposed to 24 second clock or 30 second clock for simplicity. The following suggestions will apply to any set of rules that use a shot clock. The goal of this article is not to review the shot clock rules, but rather to focus on the floor official’s responsibilities with respect to any shot clock problems during a game. It goes without saying that all officials need to know the rules that pertain to the shot clock.
Awareness of the shot clock should be discussed during the crew’s pre-game meeting. Discuss inadvertent re-sets and other misapplications of the shot clock by the operator. Before the game begins, the crew chief will talk with the table officials to discuss various matters. This is a good time to review a few points with the shot clock operator especially if you are unfamiliar with that person. Reviewing situations such as when to start the shot clock after a made basket, should it be re-set during a held ball situation and what to do if a double foul occurs. This discussion could save you some grief during the game and it takes only a minute.
The shot clock has to be monitored by the floor officials throughout the game. Normally, the shot clocks are mounted on the wall on both ends of the gym or they are above the baskets on some courts. This means both officials can easily glance at the clock regularly. It is generally easier for the trail official to monitor the shot clock; he is normally facing forward as opposed to the lead official (or centre) who is often looking over his shoulder. Each situation will obviously dictate how often this can be done. If a dribbler is being double teamed in the backcourt, the shot clock is not a priority for the trail; he has to referee the play. On the other hand, when the dribbler is moving the ball with relatively little pressure, it should be easy and second nature for the trail to glance at the shot clock and see if it was properly re-set.
The officials should glance at the shot clock at every whistle. For example, the ball is tipped out-of-bounds and Team A will retain possession. Look at the shot clock to see how much time remains. Then before the throw-in, check one last time to see that the shot clock is still correct. You can make any corrections necessary before inbounding the ball and this also shows the coaches and players that you are on top of such situations. Regularly looking at the clock also means that you will notice any other discrepancies such as an inadvertent re-set or if the clock is not running. It is better if the officials correct these problems immediately than to have the coaches or fans yell at you that something is wrong. Consistently glancing at the shot clock may seem demanding at first, but with experience it will become second nature just like raising your hand when you blow the whistle.
It is much easier to deal with a shot clock mistake during a dead ball. It becomes more complicated when you notice an error during a live ball. You will then have to decide if it is worth blowing the whistle and interrupting the game to correct such a problem. Let’s look at a couple of examples. You notice that the operator is re-setting the shot clock a little quickly after a field goal is scored. It may be a good idea to withhold your whistle and mention something to the operator at the next dead ball. A discreet reminder not to start the clock until the ball has been inbounded. Another example is when the operator forgets to re-set the shot clock during a live ball. The trail official might be near the table and could tell the operator to re-set the clock without interrupting the game. If this type of error occurs too often, blow the whistle (without putting one team at a disadvantage) and go over to the table to correct the situation. The interruption of the game is a sign to the operator that he/she better focus more. We obviously never want to embarrass the table officials so this should be done discreetly.
A further situation may arise when the operator inadvertently re-sets the shot clock during a live ball. A player shoots an air ball or there is a loose ball situation and the shot clock is incorrectly re-set. The play must be stopped at this time and the appropriate correction must be made; this is made easier if the officials have information about how much time needs to be put back on the shot clock. A-4 attempts a field goal with two seconds on the shot clock, the attempt does not touch the ring and A-5 grabs the offensive rebound. The official notices that the shot clock was re-set. Blow the whistle and call the shot clock violation. This type of situation will only be spotted if the officials are cognizant of the shot clock throughout the game.
Finally, the shot clock operators will notice if you are aware of their work. This will motivate them to be focused for forty minutes. We can also encourage the shot clock operators when they do a good job. They will appreciate the positive feedback and respect they deserve. Good table officials make our job much easier.
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