The shot-clock debate in high school basketball? It’s back and stronger than ever.
On Wednesday morning, the PIAA board went against the basketball steering committee’s suggestion of no shot clock, voting 22-9 on a first-reading basis to accept implementation for the 2028-29 JV and varsity seasons. The Altoona Mirror’s Michael Boytim was the first to report the news.
The shot clock must pass two additional votes — both at later dates — to officially be greenlit.
Lancaster-Lebanon League coaches had mixed opinions when the steering committee dismissed the shot-clock recommendation last month.
“I like the debate because it makes people talk about high school basketball,” Manheim Central boys coach Charlie Fisher said in an interview with LNP | LancasterOnline. “I don’t think one way or another. I’m sort of in that mode where it’s sort of a win-win. … There’s pros and cons to both.”
“I do wish we would go with the shot clock,” Lebanon girls coach Jaime Walborn said via text. “It keeps the game moving and forces players to make quick decisions and play with some urgency. It just makes it more competitive.”
Pennsylvania would join 31 states and Washington D.C. in the acceptance of a shot clock at the high-school level.
The PIAA administered two surveys — one in April and one in 2022 — to gauge the standing of the shot clock with member schools. The former leaned in favor while the 2022 survey yielded a 50.8% result for objection.
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