NCAA rules - what happens if one of the two shot clocks does not work? Also, does it make a difference if this is known before the game starts, vs. this happening during the game? Any citations, memos, would be appreciated.

Here was our sitch - juco game (NCAAW). We were told by the table that one of the clocks would not come on (the basket in front of the visitor's bench). There was also no alternate timing device available at the table, such as a stopwatch, etc., and no one knew of any available. So we decided, and both coaches readily agreed, that we would keep the other shot clock on, but when the ball was on offense on the other side of the court, the table would announce when we were down to 10 sec., then 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and the horn still worked. This helped us keep track of proper re-sets (which this table needed help with anyway), even though my neck was sore from having to look back several times. Afterward, I was told by my supervisor that method was incorrect - we should've turned off the working shot clock, and played without a shot clock altogether. I've also been told we should've turned off the working shot clock, but still had the table crew announce the countdown time for both ends (this is what I initially wanted to do, but there was no other timing device at the table, so how does the table keep track of the time without at least one visable shot clock on?) I was told by a different coach later they were at a rules meeting last year when this very sitch was brought up, and they were told by the official running the meeting that the visitor's basket in the second half will be the one with the working shot clock.

So many answers, but very little in the way of obvious backup rules support. Anybody know the correct answer, or where I can find it, so if it happens again I can difinitively do it the right way?

Had this happen a couple of yrs ago at a juco game.

We did it your way, the other clock magically came on about 5 minutes into the game.

Never got a definitive ruling on it though.

I would do it your way, too. Just use the one that works. If neither works, then you must, by rule, use another timing device. Playing without the shot clock is not an option by rule. I would rather have one clock visible at all times than have no visible clock.

Jim,

Where was this at?

Ken

Forest Park. Have you had that problem there?

Mass. uses the 30-second shot clock for high school (boys and girls). At a gym last week, the scorer told me just before the tap that the clock at one end "didn't really work." I had him run it down and a number of the light elements (not bulbs, exactly, but light "lines" that form the numbers) were not working. It made it impossible to tell exactly how much time was left. The clock at the other end was better -- but not perfect. We asked for an alternate timing device. There was none. So we called the coaches together, explained the problem, had the timer run the clock down so the coaches could see the problem and asked the table to shout out the time at 10 seconds. We had no problem all game.

A few nights later, a different clock problem. Midway through the first half, we get buzzed by the table. The clock is resetting to 20 seconds, not 30. The two clock "experts" keep pressing buttons to reset it properly, but nothing works. We finally tell the coaches that we will play with the clock and insturct the timer to reset the clock when it reaches 10 seconds -- and then let it run off. At halftime, my partner starts fidgeting with the buttons and figured out the problem: to reset the default timer to :30, you need to press "time" twice. The timer was pressing it once, which resets the time as directed, but does not reset the default. Apparently, when the scorer reset the clock in the first half because of an error, he hit the button twice and did not know it.