Clock operator error

[Rich]

The count in my head is as good as any other count till I'm told otherwise by someone who matters. It's definite knowledge.

[NCAAREF]

So my question is...when do you start this "official count"? With 5 seconds left...10 seconds left...30 seconds left??? I was in the stands for a playoff game one time with Team A down by 1 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Team B was shooting a 1 and 1. They couldn't get the clock fixed so the official said he "would do a count". Well guess what? Longest 3 seconds I ever saw...missed FT...rebound by Team A....dribble... dribble...pass to the wing...dribble...dribble..pass to front court...one dribble...shot...good...game over! So if that official really counted 3 seconds in his head but his partner counted it faster...who was correct? A real Pandora's box I say....

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by NCAAREF

So my question is...when do you start this "official count"? With 5 seconds left...10 seconds left...30 seconds left??? I was in the stands for a playoff game one time with Team A down by 1 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Team B was shooting a 1 and 1. They couldn't get the clock fixed so the official said he "would do a count". Well guess what? Longest 3 seconds I ever saw...missed FT...rebound by Team A....dribble... dribble...pass to the wing...dribble...dribble..pass to front court...one dribble...shot...good...game over! So if that official really counted 3 seconds in his head but his partner counted it faster...who was correct? A real Pandora's box I say....

I would never plan to depend on the count like that. Someone has to have a watch with a stopwatch on it.

The officials count is a backup to what is normally a functional clock. A bit of inaccuracy in the backup is far better than nothing at all.

If the time is around 30 seconds, being off 1-2 is not a big deal. You can stop the clock at an appropriate time and get things fixed. When it gets to under 10, and certainly under 5, having to stop things to fix a clock can be a distinct disadvantage to someone. You would never want to stop a fast break for what looks like an open shot to fix the clock with 3-4 seconds left. Let it play out and count it manually.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

If the time is around 30 seconds, being off 1-2 is not a big deal. You can stop the clock at an appropriate time and get things fixed. When it gets to under 10, and certainly under 5, having to stop things to fix a clock can be a distinct disadvantage to someone. You would never want to stop a fast break for what looks like an open shot to fix the clock with 3-4 seconds left. Let it play out and count it manually.

Completely agree.

It's no different then NCAA officials with a monitor letting a final play play out knowing the clock didn't start on time, then going to the monitor and confirming with a stopwatch. Only difference in a low-tech game is that the stopwatch is in your head.

This situation happened to me earlier this year. 2 seconds left, baseball pass inbound by team down by 3, ball gets tipped by a defender, I start counting. Sure enough, clock didn't start. Lots of stuff happened when the ball came down, but I already knew time should have expired. Wave arms, game over, run off court. Glad I counted.



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