High school basketball teams from across the state officially tipped off the new season last week and, thus, commenced a new era of basketball in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Enter, The Shot Clock Era.

First, if you plan on attending a game this season, please lay off the refs, and exercise patience. They have a hard enough time officiating the contest without dealing with such a seismic transition, and it’s going to take time for all parties — players, coaches, fans and officials alike — to adjust.

“There are a lot of nuances to the whole thing,” said long-time local official, Kevin Raney. “So far, there have been a couple of glitches, but we expect there to be some growing pains. Everything is new. It’s new to us. It’s new to the operators, and we are all a part of the same crew. I tell the operators: ‘Hey, we have your back.’ I mean, we (as officials) are still learning it ourselves and we are all learning together.”

Raney went on to explain all of shot clock issues he’s dealt with through his first three games as an official have been resolved “right away with no problems” and “no one noticed.”

Soon, this will all seem like old hat and shot clock operators — who are an official member of the gameday officiating crew alongside with the refs and bookkeeper — will have the entire process converted to muscle-memory. In other words, there will be less thinking, and more doing.

And as always, in situations like this, knowledge is power. And the more you know, the better you’ll be able to enjoy the game.

With that in mind, I bring you The Beginners Guide to the MSHSL Shot Clock…

• LENGTH: 35 seconds (boys and girls)

• CLOCK BEGINS: When initial jump ball is possessed, or any throw-in when the ball is legally touched, or touches any player on the court (it does not have to be in possession of a player)

According to an official release by the Minnesota State High School League, the SHOT CLOCK WILL RESET under the following conditions:

ANY SHOT THAT HITS THE RIM OR FLANGE:

• Offensive rebound, front court: Reset to 20 seconds
• Defensive rebound: Reset to 35 seconds

EXAMPLE 1: It’s pretty simply, actually. If a player from Team A misses a shot and a player from Team A tracks down the ball and gains possession (offensive rebound), the shot clock resets to 20 seconds.

EXAMPLE 2: If a player from Team B grabs the ball and gains possession (defensive rebound), the clock, obviously, resets to 35 seconds.

ANY SHOT OR FREE THROW ATTEMPT THAT HITS THE RIM OR FLANGE AND THE DEFENSE CAUSES THE BALL TO GO OUT OF BOUNDS AND THE OFFENSE RETAINS POSSESSION IN THE FRONT COURT:

• Reset to 20 seconds

Any shot or free throw attempt that hits the rim or flange and a held ball occurs in the front court, possession is determined by the alternative possession arrow:

• Offensive: Reset to 20 seconds
• Defense: Reset to 35 seconds

When the defense fouls and the offense retains possession with less than 20 seconds on the shot clock:

• Reset to 20 seconds

EXAMPLE: A player from Team A dribbles toward the basket near the free throw line with 7 seconds on the shot clock and a defender from Team B scrapes them across the arm and is whistled for a reaching foul, the shot clock will then be reset to 20 seconds.

Any change of possession (turnover, violation causing change of possession):

• Reset to 35 seconds

When the defense causes a kicked ball violation:

• If the shot clock is below 20 seconds: Reset to 20 seconds
• If the shot clock is 20 seconds or above: No reset in the front court
• Reset to 35 seconds in the backcourt

---

Alright, now that we have summarized most, but not all, the main reasons and functions of the shot clock reset, here are a few instances where the shot clock would not reset:

• The ball is deflected out of bounds by the defense
• When the defense causes a kicked ball violation and the shot clock is above 20 seconds
• When a player is injured
• When a team calls timeout
• Any shot attempt which does not contact the rim or flange and results in a held ball and the alternative possession arrow favors the shooting team
• When the defense fouls and the offense will retain the ball in its front court and shot clock is at 20 seconds or above