Texas high schools still won’t use shot clock for upcoming basketball season
For at least one more year, high school basketball games in Texas won’t have a shot clock.
The National Federation of State High School Associations Basketball Rules Committee announced that a proposal for a national rule mandating a shot clock as well as a proposal to allow a shot clock by state adoption were not approved on Monday during its annual meeting, which was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The University Interscholastic League follows NFHS rules and guidelines.
“Information was given to the Basketball Rules Committee that shared the votes in individual states on how coaches and officials voted in support of or non-support of the shot clock rule,” Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee said in a press release.
North Crowley boys basketball coach Tommy Brakel has tested the shot clock the past two years at the Cowtown Classic, which he hosts during the opening week of the season.
Brakel, which puts in a request to the UIL to have a shot clock, has always been in favor of it.
He said that he and his staff send shot clock stats to the UIL following the tournament.
“I’m all for it. I want the shot clock. I think it’s best for high school basketball and we’ll keep pushing for it,” Brakel said. “We’ve had nothing but good reviews and it’s been great every year. There has been nothing negative about it. Is it perfect? No, but everyone will get use to it eventually.”
One of those visiting teams in November was Mansfield Timberview and head coach Duane Gregory.
“I think money has to be part of the issue and just getting the equipment in every gym,” he said. “Each school is different, but I do think at some point, it will happen. I just don’t know when.”
Timberview reached the state tournament, but didn’t play a game after the UIL suspended the event and later canceled it. The Wolves were going for their second straight state title and third in four years.
North Crowley and Timberview both run up-tempo offenses.
So does the Arlington Martin girls.
“I’m okay with the way it is, but I’m not against having a shot clock,” Martin coach Brooke Brittain said. “It would help the kids get faster and prepare them for college. It helps you with time management without running the stalling game. Sometimes that takes away from the competition when you hold onto the ball.”
At least nine states were reporting using a shot clock in 2019, including California, New York and Washington.
“The conversation among the committee members explored the pros and cons of enacting the proposal as a rule for all states and likewise for state adoption,” Wynns said. “The committee will continue to explore the shot clock issue.”
The NFHS Committee also discussed rule changes that includes forfeits.
Rule 5-4-1 was one of three rules updated by the committee. It now states that a game is declared a forfeit if a coach is removed from the contest for unsporting conduct and no authorized school personnel are present to assume responsibility of the team.
“Most states have bylaws to cover the instance when no adult school staff is on the bench to attend to the team. Officials are not likely to read those bylaws and consequently not know that rule,” Wynns said. “Having the basketball rules cover such a situation, helps the contest officials and coaches alike if such a situation were to arise.”
Rule 10-6-1 states that a penalty is also amended to clarify that an official is not required to provide a warning to a coach before a technical foul is given.
“This amends an existing rule that gave the impression that a warning was a prerequisite to ruling a technical foul,” Wynns said. “Using the word ‘may’ helps one to understand that a warning is only an option.”
A timer’s responsibilities were addressed in Rule 2-12-5 when a player is disqualified or injured. A warning signal is sounded to begin a 15-second interval to replace a disqualified or injured player. A second warning signal was added when the 15 seconds expires to prepare teams for the resumption of play.
A complete listing of the basketball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 11:54 AM.
