Even if a shot clock were a good idea in high school ball (and I don't believe it is) you would have a hard time finding enough qualified folks to run it. It's tough enough...in a lot of places...to find folks who can run the clock, the scoreboard, and keep the official book.

 

We have gone down this road before and I can give you a very good reason for not having a shot clock! Volunteers! Yes someone to run that clock, and yes you need a different person than the volunteer that runs the clock and keeps the score!

 

Sure maybe you can get it done at the varsity game but the Freshmen, JV games?

 

Heck this year alone I have seen teams play on the Frosh level that didn't even have an official scorer for their team, been at away games that didn't have an announcer and have been at a Varsity game where the timekeeper couldn't start and stop the clock correctly, nor keep the score correct and you want a someone to keep a shot clock! It isn't going to happen!

 

Just wondering but to the posters who requested the time clock, you guys up to volunteering to do the job for the school (and that includes Frosh, JV and Varsity for both the girls and boys) you attend games at?

I'm one of the old-schoolers that likes the absence of the shot clock in high-school basketball. It can be a great equalizer. I like to watch effective defense as well as offense.

 

We already have a running clock, no need to further compound and complicate the high-school game.

High school s already have trouble funding things. Shot clocks are not cheap and not cheap to install.

It's the only way some schools have to win. I don't have a problem with it, it's a strategy.

We have gone down this road before and I can give you a very good reason for not having a shot clock! Volunteers! Yes someone to run that clock, and yes you need a different person than the volunteer that runs the clock and keeps the score!

 

Sure maybe you can get it done at the varsity game but the Freshmen, JV games?

 

Heck this year alone I have seen teams play on the Frosh level that didn't even have an official scorer for their team, been at away games that didn't have an announcer and have been at a Varsity game where the timekeeper couldn't start and stop the clock correctly, nor keep the score correct and you want a someone to keep a shot clock! It isn't going to happen!

 

Just wondering but to the posters who requested the time clock, you guys up to volunteering to do the job for the school (and that includes Frosh, JV and Varsity for both the girls and boys) you attend games at?

 

As I've made known in other posts relating to who works the scorer's table I agree with TOG's point 100%. Right now most schools do NOT have responsible & capable individuals working the clock and keeping the book for varsity games. Now we add a shot clock?!? I think not.

 

And TOG makes another point when he brings up the non-varsity games. Good gracious, what a quagmire those games would be with a shot clock - plus at most of the lower than varsity-level games I've observed, the athletes can't handle the ball well enough to intentionally hold it. Most are continual up & down the floor marathons until each quarter runs out (or an official blows his whistle).

High school s already have trouble funding things. Shot clocks are not cheap and not cheap to install.

 

I had a buddy who was an assistant coach at a DIII school. When the topic of moving the college 3 point line came up, his school (and most of the teams in his conference) were against the change, based upon the cost involved in the move.

High school s already have trouble funding things. Shot clocks are not cheap and not cheap to install.

 

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Not too expensive...

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Not too expensive...

Assuming you have electric run to the backboard, than to the scorers table and hopefully there is room at the scorers table for another body.

Guard your man problem solved.

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Not too expensive...

 

Remember old saying, "You get what you pay for."

 

Actually I have no way of knowing what most wireless shot clocks would or should cost nor how reliable any particular brand might be. Somebody who had experience in that could better speak to this issue.

 

I do know that if you go on Amazon.com you'll find: Amazon.com: BSN Wireless Shotclocks and Controller: Sports & Outdoors or $663.00.

 

I know I would be nervous about a wireless setup since anybody could buy the control and perhaps sync it to the shot clocks you have and . . . well, we don't want to go there do we? Moreover wireless gives me concerns about problems in any case - too many things that can go wrong.

Assuming you have electric run to the backboard, than to the scorers table and hopefully there is room at the scorers table for another body.

 

Those are wireless by the way...but if a school is so hard up they can't spend $1000 on couple of clocks and some wiring they need raise the price on popcorn at the concession stand.

 

 

I'm not for or against the clock I honestly see both sides of the argument, I just don't buy the we can't afford it argument.

Remember old saying, "You get what you pay for."

 

Actually I have no way of knowing what most wireless shot clocks would or should cost nor how reliable any particular brand might be. Somebody who had experience in that could better speak to this issue.

 

I do know that if you go on Amazon.com you'll find: Amazon.com: BSN Wireless Shotclocks and Controller: Sports & Outdoors or $663.00.

 

I know I would be nervous about a wireless setup since anybody could buy the control and perhaps sync it to the shot clocks you have and . . . well, we don't want to go there do we? Moreover wireless gives me concerns about problems in any case - too many things that can go wrong.

Then spend another $500 for a wired set of clocks. We have a wireless clock at most football fields is that an issue with them and someone Syncing up with them?

On the issue of funding, what about all of the very small school that would not be required to fund and install shot clock and shot clock personnel... It all adds up. I just do not see how small high school could foot the bill.

As someone who has operated a shot clock during a college game let me tell you from first hand experience that's it's not a simple thing and IMVHO more intensive then running the game clock which I have also done. Not brain surgery by any means but the person doing it has to pay attention to the game very closely. Look away for just an instant and you can miss something, then there's knowing when to and when not to re-set it. If it's mandated schools will find a way to get them but I cringe at the competence of people that will operate them particularly at the sub-varsity level and the arguments and disputes that will be caused.

I am not in favor of a shot clock.... however, if you wanted to make an argument for it, you would be better to cite a complete perversion of the game, see Highlands v. Notre Dame 2 or 3 years ago (I don't recall the score, but it was something like 12-9) or the University of Cincinnati v. Kentucky in 1984 (final score 24-11). Those were instances in which undermanned teams simply chose not to play the game AT ALL. Making a strategic decision to hold the ball with a few minutes to go and a slim lead is not a situation like that in my opinion, because, frankly, it backfires a lot of times when the trailing team fouls and the leading team can't knock down FT's.

 

To me it sounds like sour grapes when the call for a shot clock comes after a situation like this because the trailing team still could have taken the initiative and played defense and fouled....