Quote:
Originally Posted by btaylor64
So if you are saying we have to give the ball to them at the spot we blew the whistle, then if all home teams were down and the clock keeper knew this was the case, then we could end up seeing clock keeping "homers" not starting the clock on purpose and then we end up giving that team the ball back in the front court, with only a couple of seconds wasted, when in fact it was a couple more seconds than that. I know there is not that many unhonest scorekeepers out there (at least I hope not), but just trying to make a point. I know my way might not be the right way either, but I just want to do whats closest to being fair for both teams, and giving the offensive team the ball another 28 ft. or so up the court with little to no time off the clock does not seem fair. I'm open to other ideas.
And how do we have definite knowledge with a count? The only thing that keeps proper time is the clock (when its running). I would have just as good a shot at guessing how much time came off the clock and getting it correct, in contrast to counting, because everyones count is usually slower than the real time that elapses. Yes it would be close but it would not be definite. Would it?
Just my take.
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Your count would be considered definite knowledge. In fact, I believe that is specifically mentioned in the case book as "definite knowledge". It doesn't matter if your count is accurate to within atomic clock specifications. It can be a backcourt count, closely-guarded counts, or even as some have suggested, keeping a running count in your head if you see the clock is not running and there is not a good place to stop play. Guessing, unfortunately, is not allowed, and is not "definite knowledge". As far as what's fair, I would stick with what the rules say. If you try to inject you opinion of what's fair, outside the rules, then you are definitely favoring one team over another.
I think the incidents of unethical timekeepers is rare. More often than not, the reason the clock didn't start is because they are so interested in the game they forget they have a job to do and become a fan for a few moments. This is all the more reason for us to be aware of the clock in these instances. Maybe because I'm used to working with a shot clock, and the problems that it can bring, it has forced me to be much more aware of the clock as a whole during the game. I feel it actually adds a layer of credibility to the crew if you can notice and fix a clock problem.
In that ideal world, the table will take care of that, and you can concentrate on the activity on the floor. But in the real world, clock issues are part of the officials' jurisdiction, so they need to be aware of them.