0 seconds on the clock, Stop the game?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Mark Dexter

For purposes of this scenario, let's assume that some sort of omniscient Supreme Being (you fill in the name of your preference) is the timer for the game, and so the clock is run absolutely perfectly and lag/reaction time does not exist. Also, this is a televised game and we have a courtside monitor that fulfills all the rule requirements.

Team A is down by one point with a few seconds left in the game. B1 fouls A1 (non-shooting foul) and the clock is stopped at 0:00.0, BUT the horn has not sounded. A is awarded a throw-in.

A1 inbounds to A2, who miraculously taps the ball in for a 3 point basket. The ball clearly left his hand before the horn sounded (let's ignore for the moment the physics governing impulses). The covering official signals good basket, and the R goes to check the monitor. At this point, B's coach points out that, in order to count on review, the ball must have left the hand before 0:00.0 is displayed on the couch. (The video shows that the ball left the hand before both the red light and the horn came on.)

Do you:
a) go with the call on the floor?
b) agree with B's coach - the clock showed :00.0, so no shot?
c) call me a dextering wacko for thinking up this scenario?
d) think the NCAA and/or clock manufacturers should fix this?
e) all of the above?

(FWIW - NBA rules state that "if the ball is dead and the game clock shows :00.0, the period has ended even though the horn may not have sounded." (5.III.b))

Glad to have you back, Dexter

In this case, since the clock already had 00:00.0 on it I would ignore the clock when going to the monitor and look for when the LED or red light came on. If the tap came before the LED then score the goal. Otherwise no basket.

To do otherwise is in effect declaring the game over at 00:00 prior to the horn.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

We had this happen during two games this weekend. We have an old scoreboard, with a new controller. The controller shows tenths of seconds, but the scoreboard does not. The controller shows 0.9, 0.8, 0.7 seconds, but the shot clock shows 00:00, so the officials blow the whistle, saying end of quarter. I explain the situation to them, and we proceed with no further issues the rest of the day, with me warning subsequent officials.

Anyone run into this before? Any suggestions? (Like maybe the scoreboard controller or the scoreboard could be altered to match each other?)

00:00 on the clock means nothing. The buzzer ends the period. The officials should not have blown the whistle when seeing zeros on the clock, but instead waited for the buzzer. Exception: clock/buzzer malfunction.

All you can do is warn the incoming officials, which you did. Good job.