California running clock question
 

I was looking through past threads about this and something I should know but I realized I had two recent games when it was done differently. One was stopping after made shots and the other was running in the final period.

So if states have different rules about this, does anyone know what it is in the Golden State? Run with a big lead? run the whole game, stops in the last two minutes?

Disclaimer: I called HS BB in CA in the 2012-13 season, so I can't remember for sure, but....

I believe the mercy rule kicked in when a margin reached 30 or more any time in the 4th quarter. Once the clock started to run, it didn't cease to even if the margin came back under 30.

This was a CIF rule, so it should have been applied universally. But at times I'm sure it gets forgotten about, which might explain why you saw differing applications.

if the game is close though, does the clock keep running after made baskets? I thought it does but I wasn't 100% sure.

And I just realized I completely misread your post. Upon further review, I think you're talking about the clock stopping after made baskets?

If so, I don't believe there is an NCAA-like clock stopping rule in CIF for 59.9 or less in the final quarter or overtime. So when you saw it happen, it was probably a clock operator who didn't understand that NFHS doesn't have such a rule. And officials who either didn't notice this or didn't bother to correct it.

Though eight states (including CA) use shot clocks, I don't know of any that use the 59.9 rule. I wouldn't mind seeing this rule added in NFHS, though. I was in a tight game last year and with about 4 seconds left Team A scored to come within 1. I looked to the Team A bench expecting a time out for sure, poised to blow a whistle for the head coach if he so much as even started to raise his hands or look my way. I thought he did (he didn't) and I blew the whistle. He was already out of timeouts; I had lost track. That was my bust; no excuses for the loss of game awareness. But the thing was, now we had an inadvertent whistle and Team B, who could have simply avoided inbounding the ball to win the game, now instead had to make a throw-in, giving Team A some leverage that they wouldn't have had. Had the clock stopped on the made basket, this wouldn't have been an issue and I wouldn't have had quite so much egg on my face.

good to know. Yeah, I had new person doing the clock but something I should have known! Keep the clock running after made baskets.
I do like stopping the clock but maybe the running way is easier and you don't have to worry about mistakes as much when they forget to stop/restart.

Hmm .... the coach should have called the TO and taken the T anyway ....

I can inform you with 100% certainty that there is no CIF rule modification to the operation of the game clock during the final minute of a half or quarter.

Here is a complete list of the CIF modifications: http://psirefs.com/files/CIF_Basketb...Mods_10_09.pdf

New York State does for Girls' Basketball since it uses modified NCAAW's rules.

I am located in Golden State and you are 100% correct..clock does not stop after made basket in final minute of play like NCAA...Also the Mercy rule is a Margin of 40 points at anytime during 4th Quarter and it continues even if margin sinks below 40.

Cool! How good are the clock operators in paying attention to this? Are there a lot of problems or for the most part do they nail it every time?

ergh, I've had quite a few issues with timers this year. I think that would be a mess if they tried that in California. I'm all for the running clock after having recent issues.
Maybe one day if somehow an automated system could be installed I'd be in favor of it but too much human error if the clock was starting/stopping.