5.10.1 Sit E
 

This case play tells us what we can do in this type of situation, but what should you do?

Team B is down by four points with time expiring in the fourth quarter. B1 scores a goal with 4.9 seconds left on the clock and Team B is now down by two points.

A1 has the ball at his disposal for a throw-in on the end line when the timer mistakenly stops the clock.

You notice the stoppage of the clock immediately.

Do you:
a) Blow your whistle immediately and inform the timer that the clock must run; then put the ball in play with the clock to start upon the inbounding of the ball
b) Wait two seconds to see if the timer will start the clock; he doesn’t, so you blow your whistle and reset the clock to 2 seconds, with the clock to start upon the inbounding of the ball
c) Use your visual count to count down 4 seconds on the clock and then blow your whistle to indicate the game is over

Scenarios A and B give an advantage to team B by stopping the clock and forcing Team A to inbound the ball, thereby allowing a chance at a steal and layup.

Scenario C opens up the possibility that, a few seconds into your count, Team B players and coaches are going to wonder what the heck is going on and stand around and demand something be done about it. When you blow your whistle and end the game, you’ve opened up a hornet’s nest.

What do you think?

If I catch it right away, I'm going to blow it dead, go to the table and expain to the clock operator that the clock should roll at the sound of my next whistle. Then explain to the coaches what is going to happen after the clock operator knows what is going on.

If I have a count going, and then I notice it... I know that you can use your count to correct the time on the scoreboard. So whatever count I am at is what will be put on the game clock when I repeat what I said in the last situation.

If I have a five second count, I'm not going to kill the game at the lead's position. I would blow my whistle, call the coaches in and explain what happened. Then I would kill the game and get the heck out of there.

So you're comfortable giving Team B a distinct advantage?

What advantage are they gaining? Since there is 4.9 on the clock, realistically Team A doesn't have to inbound the ball since the clock will roll on my whistle. Unless we aren't allowed to do that per the rules. I'm not sure about that.

You're not allowed to do that. If you kill the play and correct the time, the clock doesn't restart until the ball is legally touched. That's the conundrum that the OP is presenting.

I would blow the whistle and go to the table. After choking the operator to death I would make sure that the backup operator understood that this can't happen again....I would then call the coaches together and explain that while it is unfortunate for team A, there is nothing that we can do other than give them the ball with the freedom to run the endline with the clock starting on a legal touch.

The problem with waiting once you see it is that there are too many things that could go wrong...team A could panic and throw the ball away, you could end up with coach of team A on the court screaming about the clock, just way too much could happen to let something like this go once you have noticed it IMO...

To add a twist what if you had some reason to believe (no idea what the reason would be) that the home scorer stopped the clock to intentionally give team B an advantage? What are your options?

Personally, I'd go with choice C. I'm not going to give Team B an advantage for the clock operator's mistake.

I think, as new trail continue your count and wait for things to explode. As new Lead, mark the time and wait for things to explode, As C, I probably don't even know the clock hasn't started.

When things explode, come together as a crew and determine what definite knowledge you have of the time remaining in the game. Go from there.

This has happened to me in a 2 whistle game. when I realized (as Trail) that the clock was not running and I had reached a count that exceeded the time left on the clock, I blew my whistle and called the game. It worked out.:)

Lower level game I might do this, HS varsity no way I would do it...too much that could go wrong IMO...why invite potential trouble? Agree that it stinks for Team A, but not your fault that they stopped the clock...

Like what? What could go wrong?

The ball is at the throwers disposal, the ball is live. All action continues. Timing errors happen and we have rules to apply to those errors. I would apply them.

After all, what could go wrong in 4.9 seconds. :rolleyes: Hypothetical question, don't answer that. I full well know what can go wrong in 4.9 seconds. :eek:

I am all for C, in 2-man I might look at the clock just before A prepares in inbound,Looking for B to call a time out, once A possess I am looking for the intentional foul that might stop the clock, and I am know at this point A doesn't have to inbound and I am listening for the horn, no horn I am looking to the Referee or myself I am him, go to the table, gather both coaches, explain the rules about my count, call the game final find my partner and get out of dodge, unless I am in the state of Mass Them is the rules...

I vote for method C as well, but how do you know that the timer stopped the clock as opposed to the device simply malfunctioning and froze the display at 4.9?

One likely doesn't know. But (c) is still the best way to handle the sitch, imho.

I vote for C.

I vote for c as well. If one of your partners whistles it dead, then just apply the rule.

I gave an example in my last post, A1 steps out of bounds with the ball, doesn't realize/forgets that the clock should be running, looks at you counting and panics and throws the ball in and you have a turnover. Now A coach is on the floor screaming that the clock didn't start. Now what do you do blow it dead and give the ball to team B? Is it likely no of course not, but why take the chance? Last seconds of games are tense and anything can happen, why not administer what you know?

I'm not saying it is the most "fair" alternative, but sometimes in an attempt to make things perfectly fair we can end up digging a bigger hole...

In similar situations, I have yelled, "I have the clock" (or something like that) and kept the count and blown the whistle when the game / period ended.

That is a great solution assuming you are able to visually/verbally communicate it to the inbounder...still run the risk of him having no idea what you are talking about, but it is definitely an alternative....either way I am strangling the clock operator....

And sometimes in our effort to prevent all the "what-ifs," we just make things worse.

Not sure I agree you made it worse by blowing it dead, you avoided a boatload of potential confusion...granted if you are sitting in coach A's seat it probably looks worse at that moment....

I've said this before on here and I will say it again.

In fact, I had a close game just the other day and it was a BV tourament semi-final. IIRC, the time on the clock was 00:55.9 when a TO was granted. I went to the timer (grade 11 girl) and told her that "at this point, the only thing that would prevent her from doing her job perfectly is to screw up the clock. It's a close game, so please make sure that you stop on the whistle and start when 'we' chop in time."

Agreed you have to do this...If team A is smart and they know that they don't have to inbound the ball with less than 5 seconds, then as the inbounder is going to pick-up the ball he is checking the clock - if it is stopped he is probably going to look at me and say "HEY THE CLOCK IS STOPPED" which gives you an opportunity to take Bob's solution and tell him that you have the clock don't worry about it...

I did exacly C a couple of weeks ago in a similar situation....

Throwin late in quarter with 3 seconds left. Clock didn't start. I counted ot 3....and blew the whistle to end the quarter then stated "Clock didn't start...three seconds have passed...quarter is over."