[JetMetFan]

I had the situation happen in a GV playoff game in February (remember, NYS uses modified NCAAW rules for girls' basketball). The shot-clock operator - a student - was very good the entire game. In the second half A1 throws what ends up being a lousy cross-court pass and it hits the rim. After a few seconds I think, "Gee, I wonder if the shot-clock reset?" It did and I blow the whistle. I talk to my partner and she doesn't know what was on the s-c or when the possession started. No one at the table knows either so we had to leave it as is.

I explained the whole thing very calmly to the s-c operator. She asked if she did anything wrong and I said unfortunately yes, but I did it with a smile on my face. I asked whether she thought the play by A1 was a shot and she said no. I said that's why before the game I said you reset "when a shot hits the rim." If you don't think it was a shot, don't reset it. If it was, we'll tell you. She took it well and continued to do a great job.

I'm in the habit - especially during my GV games - of checking the s-c at the start of every possession for just such an emergency. Unfortunately in this gym there was only a game clock at one end of the floor. I was the L at the clock end and the play had started in transition so I never had a chance to look up. Add in the fact that the shot-clocks were on the floor so there was no way to glance up when the ball hit the rim and...stuff happens.