Running time sitch
 

Charity tournament, equal to men's wreck. Two 20-minute running time halves, running time, with stop time the last two minutes. During running time, the clock only stops during time outs, and at our instruction.

A-1 is fouled while in the act of shooting. Before he shoots his free throws, A-2 requests a time out, which is granted. Clock is stopped with 2:40 left in the second half, B leading (I forget by how much).

After the time-out, I administer the two free throws, and instruct the clock operator to start the clock when A-1 has the ball at his disposal. A-2 objects, saying he called time out, and the clock should start after the free throws. I point out the ball is live when A-1 gets it.

There was no hard, fast rule outlined for this situation, but overall, I believe I had the correct application. Has anyone had anything similar/different in such off-season tournaments?

Yeah I've had a couple similar games and use the same logic you did. Nice job!

While I agree, others have the "rule" that a TO stops the clock until it would start under normal rules.

Next time you see the running clock rules, get the re-start clarified before the game / tournament.

On those occasions where I've worked with running clocks, anytime it is stopped for a time-out, the clock resumes the same as it would in a regulation game.

In games with a running clock and coming from a TO, I would start the clock normally...as though it wasn't a running clock.

I do what we normally do unless instructed otherwise. I have worked a tournament that even had time running during a timeout in some situations.

Peace

This is what's common in my area.

I agree with the comments that say check with the league admins. We have two men's leagues here and after timeouts, one starts the clock with ball at disposal and one starts as we would normally have it start.

CYO around here uses a running clock except in the last two minutes -- several other youth leagues do as well. After TOs, the clock restarts when it would in a normal game (and it is the same in the other leagues I've seen use it). I have been bewildered over the years at how few of the coaches understand how to use their timeouts effectively to manage the clock in that time period just before the clock starts stopping.

If you start the clock at the disposal, are you chopping that in? I think - especially in the context of men's wreck ball - that I would just go to football mechanics and wind it up. :)

Joking aside... Without guidance from game admin, I would start the clock when it would start again by rule, as if there was no running clock.

start the clock when the ball becomes live... you'll get outta there sooner!

Bingo. They have running clocks for a reason. This is the reason.

If I'm making the rules, I'd start on the disposal for the very reason Aremred states. Technically, you could justify starting the clock as soon as the timeout is over, but I'd compromise and do it when the ball becomes live.

I honestly don't normally pay that much attention, though, and just let the clock operator do her thing. It's either a mom, dad, or sister who doesn't need me piling on to the stress, or it's someone working the entire tournament for a pizza and tacos and they've got their system in place already.

My state makes this quite easy by spelling out the running clock rule, which then gets used in most of the wreck leagues, youth leagues, etc. Among other provisions (40pts, 2nd half, etc) it says that one reason for stopping the clock is FTs. The clock stops when the calling official indicates the number of FTs to the scorer after reporting, and starts again normally.

What is the point of a running clock if it stops for FT administration?

I wonder that every time I work a league with a running clock that stops on FTs. It's about as useless as a screen door on a battleship.

The key difference here is there IS a running clock. That is, if you're in running time, you call a shooting foul, and no-one requests a time-out, the clock runs during the free throws. How is this any different after a time out? I say the most fair time to start the clock is when the ball becomes live.

Didn't think about chopping time in, though. That's an amusing observation. I usually (not always) chop time in after a throw-in during running time, but only to keep good habits, and it's usually a half-hearted chop. The timekeeper ignores these signals, anyway.

The problem I've seen with a running clock and FTs is that a team can deliberately delay on the FT (both getting to their spots, which has no time requirement, or in shooting the FT) in order to get more time to run off.

That wouldn't be such a big deal when the running clock rules only kick in for blowout situations. However, for rec-league type games that are normally running clock through most of the game, I've seen teams game it at the ends of quarters or even at the end of a game before the stop clock in the last 1-2 minutes segment kicks in.

Screen Door Would Keep Out The Mosquitoes On A Battleship ...
 

Submarine?

You mean submarine?

Maybe, but there are ways to deal with it as officials to prevent delaying the game.

Back to the Future reference. Part II, I think.

So, if there is a throw-in, you start the clock immediately also?

Good point. I guess I could say the ball is live and in bounds for free throws. Besides, you can't score directly from a throw-in.

Awarded Points ...
 

You almost can. Defensive basket interference on a throwin where the ball ends up in the imaginary cylinder. Could be considered indirectly from a throwin?

In the one league my organization officiates, yep. As soon as the thrower has the ball, the clock starts again.

Someone got it.

As long as it is consistent. And if it is not consistent, then each situation needs to be clearly spelled out.

Does that also apply to the throw-ins that begin each quarter/half?

Yes it does in that one particular league. As soon as the thrower has the ball is his hands (or taps it after a bounce pass from the official) to begin the throw in, the clock starts. The league admins feel that the more the clock runs, the faster the games get over. If a team delays coming out and getting ready to play after a timeout, they want the officials hitting the whistle and putting the ball down. Once that happens, the clock starts.

That is a lovely set of house rules.

The league admins appear to be a highly intelligent group of people.