Texas could experiment with shot clock in high school basketball

October 16, 2017 / Athletic AdministrationBasketball
Texas doesn’t plan to mandate the use of a shot clock in high school basketball anytime soon, but it could allow its biggest schools to experiment with it in some capacity.

During a legislative council meeting over the weekend, University Interscholastic League (UIL) Executive Director Charles Breithaupt suggested that the state’s 5A and 6A schools should be given the option to test the shot clock, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Coach & Athletic Director polls consistently find that nearly two-thirds of high school basketball coaches support the use of a shot clock. Cost tends to be the biggest barrier.

From the Dallas Morning News:

UIL athletic director Susan Elza said the organization is willing to see it in a limited setting. A couple of 6A schools contacted the UIL this summer, saying they were going to be playing in a college venue for a tournament that had a shot clock. Could they use it?

While nothing is official, Elza said the UIL could “potentially” give the go-ahead for a tournament or game with a shot clock this season.

The clock probably would be 30 seconds. The UIL would monitor the games and then consult with coaches about how it affected play.

Wisconsin and Maryland earlier this year approved a 35-second shot clock for prep basketball (Maryland already uses it in girls basketball). Wisconsin, which could reconsider the change, would be the ninth state to use a shot clock.

Click here for more on this story.


Leave a Reply