[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Prior to the 1963-64 season (I am not kidding) the rules for boys'/girls' high school and men's college allowed the game officials to stop the game or delay the ball becoming alive so that a player could tie a shoe lace that had come untied.

Starting with the 1963-64 season the Rules Committtee (the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada which wrote the rules for boys'/girls' H.S. and men's college) deleted a sentence in the rules that allowed the game officials to stop the game or delay the ball becoming alive so that a player could tie a shoe lace the had come untied. The change was covered in the front of the rule book as an editorial change.

Staring with the 1978-79 season that the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada disbanded and the NFHS and NCAA created their own rules committees. When these two committees were formed all case book plays and rulings of the NBCUSC were kept. These case book plays and rulings are still in effect unless they have been superceded by a rule change or new case book play ruling.

The decision of 1963-64 has never been changed and therefore is still in effect. The problem is that the change was an editorial change and unless one have ever read a 1963-64 rule book or have discussed rules with some oldtimers (and I have done both) one would never know that there is a ruling in place to cover this situation. That is why many officials will stop the game to let the player tie his/her shoe and use safety as an excuse. It is the player who is responsible to make sure that his/her shoes are properly tied.

I myself am more lenient during jr. H.S. games but for H.S. freshmen and above I go by what the Rules Committee wants and that was spelled out in the 1963-64 rule book. That means it is a player's responsibility to keep his/her shoes tied and suffer the consequences if it comes untied.