Inboudn play with 2.8 seconds left

[blindzebra]

I e-mailed Gary Whelchel, the director of officials in Arizona who is on the NFHS rules committee.

This is his reply, the bold caps are Mr. Whelchel's response:

Gary this is a play that has been debated on the officiating.com forum and I'd appreciate your thoughts.

2.8 seconds left A1 has a throw in from their endline after a made basket by team B, that was following a timeout. A1 throws the ball to A2, who is also OOB MUST BE OOB AT THE ENDLINE, who then passes it to A3 near the division line. The horn goes off just after A3 catches the ball.

The administering official chopped in time, and the timer started the clock, when A2 caught the pass from A1.MISTAKE BY THE OFFICIAL - NOT A CORRECTABLE ERROR.

What, if anything, is the solution to this play? BY RULE, THE GAME IS OVER

5-9-1 says the timer should start the clock on the officials signal. CORRECT, AND THAT IS WHAT THE TIMER DID.

5-9-4 says that it should start on the touch by a player on the floor. THE OFFICIAL SHOULD BE CHOPPING IN THE CLOCK WHEN IT IS TOUCHED ON THE FLOOR

We have case play 5.10.1.C that deals with an official's error being non-correctable. CORRECT

We also have 2-3 since this play is not exactly covered by rule or case play. CORRECT - BUT THIS IS COVERED IN THAT IT IS NOT CORRECTABLE, BY RULE.


Some are saying it is a timer's error, so we should fix it by applying those rules. NOT A TIMERS ERROR

Others say it is an official's error, since the timer followed 5-9-1, and the official did not follow 5-9-4. IT IS AN OFFICIALS ERROR

I'm leaning toward official's error and using 2-3 to correct it, by running the play over with 2.8 on the clock and A's ball with running privileges. THIS WOULD BE THE WISE THING TO DO AND THE FAIR THING TO DO, AND I COULD SUPPORT IT, BUT, KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS NOT A CORRECTABLE ERROR, BY RULE, AND THIS ANSWER IS NOT SUPPORTED BY ANY RULE REFERENCE.


It appears that Mr. Whelchel would support using 2-3, but by rule...covered by 5.10.1.C... the game is over.

[Edited by blindzebra on Dec 15th, 2004 at 06:58 PM]