by Marquel Garner

How would implementing the shot clock in Indiana high school basketball affect teams and players?

The ‘shot clock’ shall refer to the timing device that displays a countdown of the time within which the team in possession of the ball must attempt a field goal. 

Thirty-two states have implemented a 35-second shot clock in high school basketball, and 18 states have not or said no to implementing a shot clock. 

After the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association announced the results of a survey that said 68 percent of coaches polled favored a shot clock, a proposal went before the IHSAA at its Feb. 20 executive committee meeting for a 35-second shot clock. The proposal, if passed, would be implemented for the 2026-2027 or the 2027-28 schoolyear.

Some advantages of having a shot clock include increasing the pace of the game and preventing teams from holding the ball for minutes at a time to protect a small lead, a tactic often disliked by fans and players.

Having a shot clock will make a faster-paced game, resulting in more possessions; more scoring opportunities; and higher-scoring, more exciting games, which can boost spectator attendance.

The shot clock will also help with player development, helping players learn to handle time-management pressure, make quicker decisions, and play at an uptempo pace, better preparing them for college-level basketball.

The last advantage of having a shot clock is that teams will have to practice to execute their offense better and more effectively within a timeframe than relying on holding the ball to win.  It also prevents the “end-of-game stall” where teams play keep-away for the final minutes, forcing competitive basketball until the buzzer. 

Some cons would be the cost of installing it and maintaining the shot clock, and it requires an extra, trained operator for varsity, and potentially for junior varsity and freshman games. 

With a shot clock, less talented teams wouldn’t be able to slow the game down and reduce possessions to pull off an upset. The shot clock would favor more talented teams by giving them more opportunities to score. 

Other issues would be teams playing zone defense because they would only need to play defense for 30-35 seconds. And some coaches may argue that a shot clock leads to rushed, poor-quality shots and more turnovers for less experienced teams, rather than better gameplay.

I feel adding a shot clock would be good for Indiana basketball. The main reason for me is that teams are eating up the clock with a small lead. When they play “keep away” with a small lead, it forces the other team to foul, and as a spectator, that is not fun to watch. Also, as a player, I think it could force players to develop skills, such as playing at a faster pace, managing time, and reading defenses under pressure