End of game situation

[rwest]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Well, then I'm taking off my purple leisure suit, putting on my striped shirt with a collar, and declaring the game over because back in the 1980's there was the rule on lag time, where the official was required to allow 1 second to run off because of a timer's reaction time.


I agree, but there is still a difference between "accurate" and "definite", and the rules allow for an official's count, even if it is inaccurate.

Look at case play 5.10.1 Sit. B - The ball is inbounded by A in the backcourt with 12 seconds left, A2 continues to dribble in the backcourt the official loses track of his count, and the clock expires. The ruling is the game is over. How come? If I was to do what's "fair", I would say there should've been a 10-second violation, put 2 seconds on the clock, and give the ball to B for a throw-in. But that is not what happens.


Screwed? Yes in both cases. But I would rather screw up a mechanic than a rule. And putting up time without definite information as provided by the rules would be screwing up a rule.


I understand your thinking. However, how do you explain 5-6-2, Art. 2 & 3?


Not according to the rules.

When you blow your whistle and then look up at the clock, there is a slight delay. We never know exactly what time was on the clock. We know what time was on the clock after we blew our whistle. That is the time we use for definite knowledge purposes. If we blow our whistle to grant a time out and then the buzzer sounds, we have definite knowledge that there was time on the clock. However, if the clock doesn't show tenths then we don't know exactly how much time to put on the clock.

For those who suggest we don't put time on the clock, what are you going to do if the clock operator is biased and allows the clock to run out knowing that the clock doesn't show tenths of a second? And also knowing you can't put time on the clock if you don't have definite knowldedge. Sorry coach, you got hosed by the home team clock operator but since I don't have definite knowledge, game over. Now, what happens if this is a state championship?

It could happen!