OHSAA Adopts Running Clock For Basketball At Board Of Directors Meeting

(10-21-21) At Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Executive Committee meeting on October 7, the committee was offered a proposal for a basketball mercy rule at all levels of play and in the IHSAA state tournament. Today the Ohio High School Athletic Associationv(OHSAA) followed the lead of the IHSAA and approved the mercy rule with the running clock.

• Indiana High School Athletic Association’s New Basketball Mercy Rule To Begin This Season

The ‘mercy rule is already being used in Ohio….in 2017 the OHSAA Board of Directors voted 9-0 to approve a second-half running clock rule for boys’ and girls’ basketball postseason tournaments if the difference between the two teams reaches 35 points.

The running clock will remain in effect unless the score differential falls under 30 points. That means the clock won’t stop when the ball goes out of bounds, for free throws or for other reasons. The regulation is only for the tournament starting at the sectional level.

#OHSAA BOARD MEETING: The board has approved a proposal to implement the 2nd-half running clock rule in basketball for regular-season games. The rule has been used in tournament games for several years. A running clock will be used if the lead reaches 35 points. @ohioBKcoaches pic.twitter.com/da92w1JA7r

— OHSAASports (@OHSAASports) October 21, 2021

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), there were 25 member states in 2017 that had some type of point-differential rule for a running clock in basketball..