Slow season coming - rule changes?

[Mark Padgett]

There's two guys with whom I work who would like to see the clock stop after a basket in the last minute of a game if the point differential is under 10.

They mentioned this after they worked a game in which a team scored with just under five seconds left to cut their deficit to one point and the other team didn't go to the ball and let the clock run out. My response to them telling me this was "So what? It's part of the game. They could have requested a timeout immediately after the ball went through the hoop". (I asked and they said the team was out of timeouts, and taking the T for requesting one would not really have helped)

If this ever passes, good luck working with the timekeepers on it.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

There's two guys with whom I work who would like to see the clock stop after a basket in the last minute of a game if the point differential is under 10.

They mentioned this after they worked a game in which a team scored with just under five seconds left to cut their deficit to one point and the other team didn't go to the ball and let the clock run out. My response to them telling me this was "So what? It's part of the game. They could have requested a timeout immediately after the ball went through the hoop". (I asked and they said the team was out of timeouts, and taking the T for requesting one would not really have helped)

If this ever passes, good luck working with the timekeepers on it.

Believe it or not, this is the first change I'd put in place if I was king. Too many time, there's timing issues when timeouts are called after made baskets in the last minute of a tightly contested game. I *love* the NCAA rule.

[letemplay]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Believe it or not, this is the first change I'd put in place if I was king. Too many time, there's timing issues when timeouts are called after made baskets in the last minute of a tightly contested game. I *love* the NCAA rule.

I agree as well. Far easier imo, for timekeeper to shut clock off after made basket then it is for them to know when to try to get it stopped in that hectic few seconds when a coach is screaming for the TO. Timekeeper probably hears it in some cases when official does not, but cannot stop it until seeing/hearing a signal. I've seen a lot of confusing situations this would remedy. I'm ready to vote now

[refiator]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

There's two guys with whom I work who would like to see the clock stop after a basket in the last minute of a game if the point differential is under 10.

That's really splitting hairs IMO.......How can you say that you play 31 minutes w/o a stop clock and suddenly enforce this in the last minute?? And how would you determine what the point spread should be for the clock to stop?

We have a 30 point mercy rule in GHSA...Cut from 8 minutes to 6 minutes in the 4th quarter if the lead is 30 or more. Suppose the lead is 28 after 3 qtrs, and the first play in the 4th quarter makes it a 30 point game....Why not enforce the mercy rule at that point (which we don't do)? There are just so many variables that could be changed to make the game more "fair" or "fan friendly". You can't get away from subjectivity no matter what you do........
I have no answers, just opinions, as the rest of us do.