5 second count

[bob jenkins]

If you do use the game clock in HS games to help with the 10-second call, be sure it runs off 11 seconds before you call it.

It will (usually; there are some clocks, usually older that don't follow this) indicate x:45 when it's x:45.0 and will switch to x:35 when it's x:35.9, so you will have only given the team just over 9 seconds.

Of course, the opposite is true, too -- it could go from x:45.9 to x:35.0, so you will end up giving the team 11 seconds -- but that's a better choice.