Definite Knowledge ...

[BillyMac]

IAABO You Make the Call

Play: With 0.9 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, a 3-point shooter is fouled. The Center official clearly sees the foul occur before the horn sounds, but neither the Lead nor the Trail had eyes on the game clock at the moment of contact. The timer allows the period to expire, leaving 0:00 on the clock.

Commentary: In this situation, the crew has definite knowledge that the foul occurred before time expired, but they do not have definite knowledge of the exact amount of time remaining.

By rule (NFHS 5-10-1), officials cannot guess or estimate time; they may only direct the timer to reset the clock if they have definite knowledge of the exact time to be placed on the clock.

The table officials can provide “other official information” to the Referee if they are asked for help. (NFHS 5-10-2). But they can only provide information if they know the exact time the foul occurred.

If the table officials cannot provide an exact time the foul occurred, by rule, no time can be added back to the clock.

The correct procedure is to administer the free throws with 0:00 on the clock and empty lane spaces.

While some states have adopted video replay rules to assist in such cases for state championship series contests, the NFHS replay rule is limited to reviewing last-second goals at the end of the 4th quarter or overtime. The replay rule is designed to determine if a goal should count or if a foul occurred before the expiration of time. So, even if this were a postseason game, because it occurred in the 3rd quarter, there would be no rule support to go to the monitor on this play. In addition, since the crew knew the try was released before the expiration of the time, the rule does not support using video replay to determine how much time to add back to the clock.

Some states have expanded the use of video replay beyond what is outlined in the NFHS rule. All officials should know if they have video replay in their state and what the parameters are for that rule.

Summary: We hope this play summary helps officials understand exactly what "definite knowledge" means in this situation, so you can apply the rule accurately should you have a last-second shot situation in one of your games.

The bottom line here is you cannot guess or estimate how much time needs to be added back in this situation. Last-second shot coverage needs to be part of a pregame conference discussion.

I often have a "mental countdown" at the end of a period, especially in the fourth period, or the overtime, of a close game.

It's not a "guess", or an "estimate", but an actual count like any other that I've had in the game (three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds).

Is that enough "definite knowledge" for me to put one second back on the clock (my brain is not accurate to tenths of a second)?

[Raymond]

You would have to explain what method you use to break down seconds to some sort of fractions.

I have taken seconds off the clock based on a mental count, but not fractions of a second.

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[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

I have taken seconds off the clock based on a mental count, but not fractions of a second.

So, as I count down from ten seconds in my head I get to one second and my partner simultaneosly sounds his whistle; so with such definite knowledge, we can put one second back on the clock.

But if I count down from ten seconds in my head and I get fractions of a second past one second and my partner sounds his whistle; since I don't mentally count fractions of a second in my head; in this situation with no such definite knowledge, we can't put any time back on the clock.

Sound copacetic.