Series of Articles on NFHS Proposals

[Pantherdreams]

Seems like pretty standard fair nothing really earth shattering.

Checked out the breakdown of the costs for installing shot clocks. Based on personal experience and somle research. The costs in the linked article are inflated. Depending on what you want the clock to do and if you need it to interface with your current system are all factors in cost. In reality though the claim of 5,000 minimum cost is erroneous. You can get two portable/mountable clocks and the operating tablet/device that is wireless for anywhere from 800-1500. Most of the schools where we work have these sorts of devices and shot clocks. They aren't mounted on backboards/ tied into the scoreboard or connected to a jumbo tron or even hard wired in. They just hang them from the walls or roll them out at game times. Plug in the wireless consule next to the game clock and Bob's your uncle. I can't speak to upkeep costs or costs of minor officials since all the schools we work minor officials, AD's etc are primarily volunteer. But to be clear we've got schools making an invenstment in equipment that wll work at games for 4-6 teams per school for x number of years at a cost that is 1/2 or 1 full set of uniforms for 1 team that may last 3-5 years.

Now that isn't a reason to go to shot clocks but I don't think the cost is as big as a deterent as some think.

The issue with the shot clock is that as officials there is little/no upside for us specifically. More possessions, more broken plays, more rules, more responsiblity, more horns, whistles, interruptions and errors.

So from an officiating stand point it would be easier to not have a shot clock then to have one. It would also be easier to have no fouls, no out of bounds, just have us there to throw the jump ball and start/end games. So the real debate about shot clock has to
be a state of the game sort of debate. Schools have to calculate costs obviously but really it has to come down to what is better for the high school game and basketball in general.

So as the only really "for the shot clock guy" here I will post a token defense for the benefit of having a shot clock below as a greater good of the game thing. Have a great day.


How The Shot Clock Improves Player Development - theLLaBB