Timing Question
 

Longtime reader, first-time poster here. I'm a football official and basketball timekeeper - not a basketball rules expert - so my question will probably be pretty basic for you guys.

Opening tip-off. Ball is tapped by the visiting team's jumper, hits the floor, and bounces out of bounds untouched by any other player. Should the clock have started at any point or should it still read 8:00 when the ball goes out of bounds and is subsequently inbounded?

I'd appreciate a rule reference, since I tried to look this up in the rulebook and couldn't really find an easy answer. Thanks for your help!

Clock starts when the tossed ball is touched by a jumper. 5-9-2 (last year's reference, but I don't think it's changed)

Thanks, Bob. Looks like I messed this up, since I didn't start the clock, but I wasn't sure since the officials didn't make any effort to correct the clock before the ball was inbounded.

When a U, about once a season I end up having to whistle a jump ball dead that is tilted to one side. When I do this, my arm is still straight up. But every timer starts the clock. I have to reset it to 8:00 and I always tell them, "please don't start the clock until you see a referee's arm chop in time". I've been in a number of close VB games this season, and I've probably had to correct timing errors about a dozen times this season; both stopping too late and starting too early.

Good Question
 

Yes! Yet another candidate for a special forum dedicated exclusively to "table officials"!

Well, they are part of the officiating crew! :)

Inquiring Minds Want to Know ???
 

Stupid question. I've always been curious. Why do first time posters have a post count of two?

Reminder ...
 

Same thing for a jumper who taps the ball on the way up. Saw it in a state tournament game last season. Umpire did a nice job resetting the clock.

The first post (thread post #1) in this thread is user post #1. Then he replied (thread post #3) which is user post #2. That updates the user post count that you see displayed.

Updated Count ...
 

Thanks. Ask a stupid question, get a rational answer. What a great world it is that we live in.

NJ, do you work the scoreboard also or just the clock? I'd suggest getting a hold of a rulebook if you can. The other important subject to know is the possession arrow. Several different rules address the arrow that may not be intuitive such as if the inbounding team on an alternating throw in fouls, they lose the throw in, but not the arrow.

I should have said fouls "during the throw in" so that's another point to know, when does a throw in end, because if the foul is after the throw in ends, the arrow does go to the other team.

Actually - if either team fouls 6.4.5

The other official, the one with his back to you near the table, will have his hand held high. When he brings the hand down, you start the clock. That should happen all throughout the game on throw-ins, after missed free throws, for any OT jump balls, etc. The official will chop in the time so you do not have to guess when to flip the switch.

Thanks, guys. I'll take another look through both the timing rules and the possession arrow (as well as keep an eye on this board). I do the clock, scoreboard, and PA announcing for the school I teach at (and graduated from), and I'm interested in making sure I know what I need to know to do the job right.

My school lost a heartbreaker in the conference tournament today so it hasn't been such a great day...