[daveg144]

Girls varsity game...two teams really needing a win. Close game all night (largest lead is perhaps 6 points for either team). Not the best played game I've seen, but very competitive and evenly matched.

With 2.1 seconds left in regulation, the home team has the ball in the frontcourt, opposite the table (sideline corner). I am the lead and I administer the throw in. She inbounds the ball and I "chop" the clock and take a quick look at the clock. It does not start. They make two passes and a take a couple dribbles and in my head, I'm already at three seconds. I immediately blow the whistle and wave my arms (as in the "no basket" motion) and run on to the floor towards the table. As I'm doing this, a shot goes up from beyond the 3 point line in front of the table. Naturally, the ball goes in and the home crowd goes wild (well, as wild as maybe 150 can be).

As I'm going towards the table, the visitors are saying the shot was too late, the home team is celebrating and the official timer is shaking his head. He knows he screwed up by not starting the clock. We get together and we're all in agreement that they shot was taken well after 2.1 seconds. Both of my partners noticed the clock not starting.

We go to overtime and the home team ends up winning by three points. Here's my question: Is there any way we could have "re-done" the last 2.1 seconds (this time with the clock starting)? That's what the home team coach wanted to do.

If the situation would have been 30 seconds to go and I notice the clock does not start, would you recommend "starting over" or taking the time off the clock (if we have definite knowledge of how much time elapsed, if we have a backcourt count, for example)?

We felt that with 2.1 seconds left and the play obviously took more than 2.1 seconds, the right thing to do was go to the overtime.

Your thoughts?