State high schools to experiment with shot clock

A shot clock is coming to some Arkansas high school basketball games this fall.

The Arkansas Activities Association approved the use of a shot clock in high school basketball nonconference tournaments on a one-year experimental basis during the final day of its summer workshop Thursday at the Holiday Inn Little Rock Airport Conference Center.

The shot clock for games in Arkansas will be 35 seconds for boys and girls games.

At the NCAA level, the shot clock is 30 seconds. NBA and WNBA shot clocks are at 24 seconds.

Joey Walters, the AAA deputy executive director, said schools can apply to use a shot clock beginning in September. It is not required for schools to use a shot clock for their tournaments.

Cost for a shot clock ranges from $2,000 to $4,000, Walters said. The charge for using a person to operate the shot clock will be up to the schools.

Eight states -- California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Washington -- currently use a shot clock.

New York and South Dakota use a 35-second shot clock, while Massachusetts uses a 30-second shot clock. In California, Maryland and Washington, the shot clock is 30 seconds for girls' games and 35 seconds for boys games. But in North Dakota, its Class A boys have a 35-second shot clock and the Class A girls use a 30-second shot clock. The Class B boys and girls in North Dakota each have a 35-second shot clock.

Several high school basketball tournaments in the state already use a shot clock, such as Little Rock's Jammin' for Jackets and Russellville's Hoops for Hunger. A new tournament in November at the New School in Fayetteville will use a shot clock.

Shot clocks are prohibited by the National Federation of State High School Associations and states that institute a shot clock on a permanent basis forfeit their ability to serve on the NFHS basketball rules committee.

However, Walters said by applying for a shot clock on a experimental basis, schools in the state will have to provide data to the NFHS, which is expected to include how many shots are taken in a game with a shot clock and without as well as how many fouls are called.

The AAA, Walters said, surveyed state basketball coaches in 2017 about the use of a shot clock and 40 percent favored it.

In other business Thursday, the state basketball finals schedule times were released.

With the AAA going from seven classifications to six in basketball for the 2018-2019 season, there will be 12 state championship games instead of 14 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs. The state finals will be played Thursday, March 7-Saturday, March 9. Three games are scheduled for March 7, four for March 8 and five for March 9.

The March 7 game times are 4 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 8 game times are 2:30 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. On March 9, game times are noon, 1:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Sports on 06/08/2018

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