oldie but goodie - clock reset or not?

[Mark Dexter]

quote:

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

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While no individual error has been made, I believe there is an 'error' in the overall situation. Assuming the timer is watching the administering official, you will have quite a bit of lag - the official seeing the ball being touched, the official chopping his/her hand, the timer seeing the hand drop, the timer pushing the start button - the clock is probably started at least .5 seconds late. A similar situation occurs when the clock stops (see OOB, blow whistle, hear whistle, make sure it is a whistle, push stop button).

In this situation, A2 will be legally inbounds at the time of A1's throw-in. Let us assume that we had a computer that was the perfect timer. Going by the intent of the rules, the clock would start the instant the ball was touched (not on the signal), and stop exactly when a violation occured (not on the whistle).

A1 releases the ball, so the clock is "armed." When A2 touches the ball, the clock starts. When A2 touches OOB, the clock stops. However, these two events occur at the same time, so no time runs off the clock.

That's why the timer and R1 and R2 made no mistakes, but the spirit of the rules were not followed.