oldie but goodie - clock reset or not?

[Camron Rust]

The conclusion that I came to after studying this situation (NF rules) is that the time that ran off the clock is valid (provided it stopped within 1 second of the whistle).

The timer, according to 5-9-1, is to start the clock when the official chops/signals time-in. The timer is futher authorized to start the clock in a listed set of cirmumstances if the official fails to signal.

The timer is to stop the clock within one second (lag time) of a whistle.

In this case, the timer made no error. The clock was started as instructed by Official-1 (O1) and stopped as instructed by Official-2 (O2). Since no error was made, no time can be added.

Some will say that O1 should have never chopped time in, however, O1 does not have the resopnsibility of all boundary lines on the court and can not be expected to know when A2 is contacting a line that O2 is covering. Each official is performing their duties as prescribed. They have made no error.

Since the timer made no error (based on the fact that the clock was started and stopped as signaled) and the officials made no error (based on the fact that each signaled as their coverage and responsibilities dictated) the brief amount of time that ran off the clock shoud not be changed.

If you wish to discuss NCAA or NBA situations, I would have the opposite opinion in that the time should be returned to the original time since neither of these rulesets have a lagtime provision.

[This message has been edited by Camron Rust (edited June 12, 2000).]