The most controversial topic in high school basketball right now is whether or not boys and girls basketball should have a shot clock. For a number of years, this topic has been proposed by multiple sports programs. In my opinion, I feel as though the shot clock would be very beneficial to high school basketball. 

To start off, what is a shot clock? A shot clock is a clock that sits up above the basket that starts at 30 seconds. The teams are supposed to score in 24-35 seconds, depending on the league, or there is a shot clock violation. The clock is reset when the ball touches the rim or goes in the basket and when the possession of the ball switches to the other team, like a rebound or a turnover. However, in high school sports right now there is none, so teams are able to spend however much time they want on the offensive end. The shot clock was added in order to increase the pace of play. 

What is the reason for a shot clock? According to Dr. James Gels from the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook the “main reason is to prevent teams from stalling, holding the ball for long periods of time to slow the pace of play and reduce the number of possessions. There are many examples of teams stalling the entire game, even in the first half, and even in state championship games.” This I completely agree with because as a basketball player myself, in times where there is not a lot of time left in the game and you are down a couple of points, the main goal of the team is to not give the ball to the other team and to waste time. Having a shot clock will not always allow teams to do this and will keep the game more interesting to watch and even play. David Russell, Carterville Girls Basketball Assistant Coach says “I agree with adding a shot clock to the game, I want the game more sped up and it will allow coaches, like me, to have to think of other ways to win games.” 

What is the reason to not have a shot clock? According to Dr. Gels again, he says that there are multiple reasons like cost, a shot clock operator, fans, coaching strategy, and fundamentals. 

In the end, high schools should add a shot clock because it will make the game more entertaining and will keep the game at a quicker pace.