Ohio Running Clock
 

Been a long time since Ive posted on here...was reminded about the site tonight and thought about Jurassic Referee....wonder what he would have thought about Ohio's Running Clock for the tourney...

Running clock in the second half of tournament games if the score differential reaches 35 points. The running clock will remain in effect unless the score differential falls under 30 points. The running clock regulation is only for the tournament, beginning at the sectional level.

Hope you are all well.

We got that in Virginia, but not for playoffs. My buddy is a coach, and of course the very reason we adopted a slaughter rule takes place during his game: Team B is getting beat by 40 in the 2nd half. Kid B takes exception to it. Commits an intentional foul on a break away lay-up, injures Starter A, who now has to limp off the court. If they just let the clock run (and the coach called off the dogs), we wouldn't have kids getting hurt when the game is already over.

It also amazes me when coaches say they don't want a mercy rule. No one is having fun beating a team by 30+ points. The kids end up watching the clock more than the game.

Why leave Starter A in the game when they are up by 40 points? The clock running - or not - doesn't prevent this injury.

Larks:

I was surprised to see the memo that came out late last week about the running clock Mercy Rule. I think it surprised a lot of people because it was not mentioned in the Online State Rules Meeting nor in any LOA meetings all year long.

What is even stranger is that Ohio S.O. Basketball plays NFHS Rules with the OhioHSAA adoptions. I assign the officials for four counties in NW Ohio, and early in the season, I had the S.O. Director of one of those four counties ask me if the OhioHSAA Mercy Rule was in effect for S.O. Basketball games this year. I told him that the OhioHSAA had not adopted a Mercy Rule. He went on to tell me how the supposed OhipHSAA Mercy Rule was supposed to work, quoting the exact rule that is being used in this year's Tournament.

To say that I was flabbergasted to read the OhioHSAA memo last week would be an understatement. I do not know why the OhioHSAA adopt this rule, only for the Tournament and not for the Regular Season, and keep it secret until the end of the Girl's Regular Season.

MTD, Sr.

This surprised me as well (OHSAA official in central Ohio). It kind of came out of nowhere. Seems like a rule change that would be tried in preseason (if there was one) and possibly adopted for the regular season.

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Just found a news story that this was approved in October...but this is the first I've heard of it...

Please post the link.

MTD, Sr.

Here's a copy of the OHSAA Board of Directors minutes from that meeting.
http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/Board...Oct26-2017.pdf

Also why I said "and the coach called off the dogs". Starter A got hurt late in the 4th. If the clock ran, game is over 10 minutes ago.

It's completely the coach's fault, but a running clock makes the game shorter, reducing the chance of something stupid like a pissed off kid committing an intentional/flagrant foul.

Coach winning by 25 playing....we all know who is going to win...., 4 left calls me over during a FT (mind you we are 25 fouls in on our way to 30 2nd half fouls at this point)...."things are getting rough, Im afraid one of my guys are going to get hurt". I think..."well gee coach, sorry I probably missed fouls 26 and 27 OF THE HALF trying to squeeze any flow I could out, my bad!!".....I reply...well you are playing a pretty aggressive defense you could help me out with that a little no? "Well yes but..."

There is always a "but". They cant take the information were giving them and execute off that....they have to feel like they achieved a game changing point with us.

GET YOUR KEY GUYS OUT....CALL OFF THE FREAKING DOGS MAN. 2-3 Zone and require 10 passes before a shot on O and lets get out of here quickly in one piece....

Nope...lets full court M2M all the way out and keep attacking the rim. He threw us a bone and finally slowed the O down at about 1 min left. Won by 25. Oh and the other coach complained all game we didnt call enough illegal screens. Lets see...lost by 25...check....cant guard other team without fouling...check...what to do next? Complain about screening.

Ugh. Basketball is dumb right now.

/rant...sorry that wasnt about running clock but at least I feel better.

While not common for Varsity Boys, I have seen JHB and girls teams from Varsity on down with as few as 6 players this season. Sometimes, you can't help but play the starters.

The one team JHB team that was up 23-2 after 1Q went into the "X number of passes" mode that was mentioned. That helped quite a bit.

On the Left Coast in the Golden Bear State...any game...Mercy Rule with running clock at 40 point differential in the 4th Quarter. Clock runs once the 40 point mark is hit and continues even if the differential sinks below 40.