PTS NCAA's
 

I have noticed, after watching several NCAA tournament games (ok, so many games) that the officials seem to not be using the Precision Timing Devices (PTD or PTS). Is there a reason for that?

Yep. BktBallRef posted on this topic several times now.

The system is not used because it is not available at all venues and the committee wants all games to be played under similar conditions.

How hard would it be to have the devices at all the games. I would think not too hard as these are major universities hosting the tournament. I would think that the officials have been using the devices all year, this may be the only games that they have not been used for some of the officials.

It goes deeper than that. Forever reason, the NCAA has chosen not to use it. If they can purchase floors and ship them to each Regional site, then they can certainly spend $50000 to have PTS at each site. For whatever reason, they chosen not to use. They haven't used it in years.

I have noticed some of the crews used mechanics similar to the NBA. The lead is counting, but not chopping the clock and the Trail is chopping the clock.

Also, I would be surprised if these officials used PTS in all their games this season no matter how "big time" they are.

I don't know about PTS, but it seems that all the coaches at all the sites have PMS. :o

The coaches always seem to have PMS

And I Don't Even Play A Doctor On Television ...
 

Even the male coaches?

Floors from the Upper Peninsula ?

Connor Sports Flooring, a company that uses harvested maple from Michigan's Upper Peninsula or northern Wisconsin, does that.

I spoke to Mike about this issue two years ago.

This was when there were several timing issues during the previous tournament and then a few occurred that year too. He felt that they would finally come around and so did I.

I think the NCAA has some issues with PTS...it seems to work fine all game until the last minute or so then there are problems.

They haven't yet. Did he say why they weren't using it?

I was told by an NCAA Women's official that the NCAA questions it's reliability still because of "some specific instances during the regular seasons." I guess they feel there are still come bugs to be worked out with the system. He had not heard the exact situation(s) that let to this opinion though.

-Josh

I've always wondered how these things work, could someone explain it to me?

Each official has a power pack on their waistband that has a button that you push to start the clock...the timer also starts the clock when you chopped the clock in. Each official also has a small microphone in their lanyard that is tuned into the Fox 40 whistle and when you blow the whistle the clock should stop. The timer continues to do their normal duties as a back up. Most officials that I work with really don't care for it at all (NCAAW).

Maybe then the reason it doesn't work in the last couple minutes of a game is the noise level in the arena usually rises?

That's why the table timer should be getting it killed also.

Well ya, but maybe that's the reason the NCAA didn't spend the money to have the systems installed, since they're unreliable at the most crucial point of the game.

Didn't the most recent controversies surrounding this involve the clock stopping for no apparent reason for periods of time? The timer doing his/her job properly wouldn't prevent that (assuming that PTS was responsible for the strange behavior, which we don't know)

Question for people who have used the PTS.

Can the officials stop the clock on made baskets in the final minute of NCAA games using their belt packs?

Basically what type of buttons or switches are on the belt packs?

I don't think so..there is one button on the bottom of the pack to start the clock.

Serious question---Is the use of PTS the reason it seems "major" NCAA officials are hitting their whistle 2 or 3 or more times on every call? Are they instructed to do that to make sure the PTS picks up the whistle and stops the clock?

Not likely. :rolleyes:

The problem is that isn't true. They're used at every school in the ACC. i can assure you that no NCAA Tourney venue is as loud as Hansbrough Indoor Stadium when Carolina and Duke play. And it works just fine.

PTS is much more reliable than human timers starting and stopping the clock. The first two rounds of the tournament proved that out. As long as the batteries are fresh, there's rarely a problem.

There's one button on the bottom that starts the clock.

The whistle stops the clock.

The timer would have to stop the click in the final minute. No big deal, he does it when PTS isn't used.

I see he's already spending his NBA money on naming rights...

:D

Nope! Having won all four games he played there in his career, he's earned the right to rename it. :D