Notes from a recent ref clinic

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Rich

There are a fair of games where a team holds the ball the last 60 or 90 seconds of a quarter. As a fan, that's a lot of dead time to watch. A shot clock, even a 45 second one, addresses that to a certain degree.

True, but with a financial impact to many schools that might otherwise never face the problem designed to be solved. Not to mention now you'd need to train/employ shot clock operators, a job that requires more focus than the timer. I have enough problems with timers as it is.

If we're gonna do it to prevent stalling, let's set it at 30 or 35 and spice up the game at the same time. Either way you achieve the primary objective of preventing stalls, assuming that even is the primary objective.

Then again, I concede it's easy to shorten the SC once the infrastructure is already in place. You know the NFHS; they love their little bitty incremental changes.

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by Adam

A few times per year, across the nation, does not warrant such a major rule change.

Absolutely agree.

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

You know the NFHS; they love their little bitty incremental changes.

That's my impression too. These two facts combined make me doubt the "clinicians" mentioned in the original post were on the mark. I would think there would at least be some mention of the situation in the most recent rule changes or points of emphasis if such a significant change was in the works.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

If we're gonna do it to prevent stalling, let's set it at 30 or 35 and spice up the game at the same time.

I contend that going that low in HS would make a lot of games a mess. Forced shots, turnovers, etc. will increase for less skilled teams. If both teams are lower skilled, it could be an even uglier night than it would have otherwise been.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I contend that going that low in HS would make a lot of games a mess. Forced shots, turnovers, etc. will increase for less skilled teams. If both teams are lower skilled, it could be an even uglier night than it would have otherwise been.

Having worked in two states with a shot clock, I respectfully disagree. Teams that are lower skilled and/or not as well coached often lack the discipline to employ a methodical offense; they shoot or drive as quickly as possible and the shot clock rarely comes into play. There may be bad basketball, but it has nothing to do with the shot clock.

With better coaching and/or advanced play (i.e. varsity), the shot clock sometimes comes more into play but without the forced shots and goofy turnovers you describe. Even so, when I did some varsity in CA, it was not uncommon to sometimes go three or four games without a shot clock violation. I often wondered why they bothered to have one in the first place.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Even so, when I did some varsity in CA, it was not uncommon to sometimes go three or four games without a shot clock violation. I often wondered why they bothered to have one in the first place.

And that is the biggest point of them all.