Lag time on shot clock

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

Massachusetts uses a 30-second shot clock. As the clock is winding down, ball is OOB on the lead's sideline, off the defense. Whistle blows, followed (maybe a second later) by the shot clock horn. Lead says he saw the shot clock when he blew the whistle and put 2 seconds back on the clock -- citing the new "lag time" rule. (The offense called time out and made a basket off the inbounds play.)

In the past, we would have ruled a shot clock violation...even though the whistle clearly blew before the shot clock horn sounded. I let my partner explain his decision to the coaches, but I am not sure we handled it properly -- because there is no specific rules guidance for lag time with the shot clock. In the locker room, he said he really was not sure how much time was left...only that he was certain the whistle sounded before the horn and he saw some time on the clock.

Since the NFHS doesn't have a shot clock rule, there is no way to handle it properly, unless Mass. has outlined such. You guys can just make it up as you go along.