As I mentioned in another post, I've been reading old threads b/c the board is so slow lately. I came across a thread that Mark started about working summer league games with Juulie. In the post, Mark said that your summer league runs 16-minute stop time halves.

I'm just curious as to how you felt about working the halves as opposed to working quarters. In MA we use halves, and I like it a lot; but I've never worked quarters, so I don't really have any way to compare.

Did you find that you have a preference for either quarters or halves? If so, what was better about the one you prefer?

Chuck

Under FIBA rules we've always used halves, but since 2001 we use quarters. I like both, but I think I prefer the quarters system.

ADR

As a referee I prefer quarters - more breaks. As a player I prefer halves, because the teams that I play in seem to loose momentum if we stop too often :)

For the upper levels, I prefer the quarters. The more experienced players know how to use it to their advantage, and it gives them another time out.

For Jr Hi (except the real all-star teams) halves are better, I think. The coach can discriminate a little better about where to put the time-outs. And it's not another break in what can be a very long game.

The teams that played in that league this summer were mostly the upper levels (JV and Var), but most didn't play very well, and the one-break-fewer factor really did make a difference in how much time the games took.

Mark, what do YOU think?

I like halves because I get two more end of period situations and two more beginning of period situations. More chances to start fresh.

Two halves is more than four quartera!?!?!

The games seem to move a little faster with halves. There's fewer breaks, obviously. However, in fall pre-season leagues, I prefer quarters since I am usually nowhere close to being in shape and could use the rest.

The best situation is running time halves, which is what I'm now working in fall ball.

Most of our summer leagues have running halves (usally 16 minutes) and in some of them, the clock doesn't stop unless there is a timeout or within the last 2 minutes of each half. Sure makes the game go much faster.