SCHSL Approves Boys Volleyball, Football Running Clock, & Basketball Shot Clock

The South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) made major changes to the landscape of the state’s high school athletics programs during its executive committee meeting this week.

Of the changes made by the SCHSL, the most notable were the unanimous decisions to sanction boys volleyball as an official varsity sport in the fall, mandating a running clock during high school football games, and a 10-2 decision to approve the usage of a shot clock in high school basketball invitationals and showcases.

schslThe news comes from reports from Greenville News reporter Joe Dandron. Below is an excerpt from those reports.

According to a post on Twitter from the SCHSL, the first state volleyball championship will not be held until the 2023-24 season. Teams competing under the SCHSL will play in the fall, the same season as girls volleyball.

The Palmetto Volleyball Association helped put on a state-wide postseason tournament this spring between 16 schools from across the state. Boys volleyball began as a club sport in 2019. That year, only 14 teams under the SCHSL had it. This past season, 20 teams competed and 17 were associated with schools that compete under the SCHSL.

“Football to implement a mercy rule of a running clock through regulation when 42 points or more (spread) at any point at or after half-time with amended clock stoppages … 12-0 approved,” a Tweet from the SCHSL’s Twitter account reads. The “amended stoppages,” will include timeouts, incomplete passes, penalties, and scores.

Previously, it was up to the head coaches of both teams to agree on whether a running clock would begin. That decision could come at any point during the game. Now, the running clock will begin if a team is down by 42 points or more in the second half of a game.

When used, the shot clock in basketball will be 35 seconds. The NFHS announced in May 2021 that any state can adopt the shot clock in high school basketball beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.

One nearby state is going to be all in on the shot clock starting next academic year: Georgia High School Association will fully institute a 35-second shot clock beginning during the 2022-23 season.

To read the full reports from The Greenville News about the SCHSL decisions, click here and here.