Rule Changes for Next Season

[Texas Aggie]

A good non-calling official looks at the game/shot clock immediately after all whistles

I couldn't disagree more. Your focus should be intently on the players.

I agree you should keep an eye on the clock whenever possible, mostly during a transistion, but don't do it "immediately" after a whistle. That's when you'll miss an elbow to the chops.

[Texas Aggie]

I asked to clock operator to start at :15 and run it down

In a playoff game last year (I was watching, not working), they tried to do this exact thing (for 3.6 seconds, I believe), and the idiot clock operator set it for 36 seconds. This was after the operator didn't start the clock properly on an inbounds play, and the officials mistakenly let them replay the entire last 3.6 seconds THREE times.

There was darn near a riot, so you'll see why I'm skeptical about a trial and error approach to clock operations.

I understand this clock business only applies to "definite knowledge," but the rest of my post answers that: how do you know if the clock should read 3.9 or 3.4? I can't agree that an official can have definite knowledge to any real precision.

[refhoops]

I do not beleive this is a big issue if you have clock awareness. Since here in California we have a shot clock, this last season a point of emphasis for me was both shot clock and game clock awareness. Second to last game of season, rivalry game between teams 3 miles apart. Full gym, incredibily load, hard to hear any whissles at end of the game. I am L, home scores with less than 2 seconds to play, I widen out, I am in perfect alignment with clock and visiting coach, he calls a TO with 1.4. I call TO, but nobody hears, home team thinks they have won game, fans storm court. We clear the court, put .8 on clock, explain to home coach that I had definite knowledge and we will put .8 on clock, does not question decision too much, put .8 on clock and play out the game-after 3 timeouts.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by refhoops

I do not beleive this is a big issue if you have clock awareness. Since here in California we have a shot clock, this last season a point of emphasis for me was both shot clock and game clock awareness. Second to last game of season, rivalry game between teams 3 miles apart. Full gym, incredibily load, hard to hear any whissles at end of the game. I am L, home scores with less than 2 seconds to play, I widen out, I am in perfect alignment with clock and visiting coach, he calls a TO with 1.4. I call TO, but nobody hears, home team thinks they have won game, fans storm court. We clear the court, put .8 on clock, explain to home coach that I had definite knowledge and we will put .8 on clock, does not question decision too much, put .8 on clock and play out the game-after 3 timeouts.

What am I missing here?

Your "definite knowledge" on this play was that the TO was called with 1.4 seconds on the clock. Why didn't you just put 1.4 seconds back on the clock? How could you have any kind of "definite knowledge" at all on this play that would enable you to put 0.8 seconds on the clock?

The only real definite knowledge that you have on this play, as far as I can see, is 1.4 seconds.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

What am I missing here?

Your "definite knowledge" on this play was that the TO was called with 1.4 seconds on the clock. Why didn't you just put 1.4 seconds back on the clock? How could you have any kind of "definite knowledge" at all on this play that would enable you to put 0.8 seconds on the clock?

The only real definite knowledge that you have on this play, as far as I can see, is 1.4 seconds.

The coach started the request at 1.4 but the official's whistle blew at 0.8??? If that is the case, the timer could not be expected to stop the clock before the whistle. 0.8 could be the correct time.