The idea of Nebraska adding a shot clock in 2022-23 is all but dead. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday at the NSAA District Legislative meetings only two (District II and VI) of the six districts voted to pass the Class A only shot clock proposal.

In order for the Class A only proposal to be approved it needs a full-court buzzer beater. The next step is the NSAA Board of Directors will consider the proposal at the April board meeting. Historically the board tends to vote the way the membership in their district voted. 

If the proposal is not approved by the board it will likely continue to be discussed for years to come. 

The first foray into using a shot clock happened at the 2021 Metro Holiday Tournament and by all accounts was a success.  The Metro Conference petitioned the state to receive permission from the National Federation to use the shot clock on a temporary basis due to the pending proposals the conference has submitted to the NSAA. The state received permission from the NFHS to use shot clocks for the 2021 Metro Tournament quarterfinals, consolation games, semifinals and finals.

The shot clock was approved by the Class A Caucus (Athletic Directors) by a wide margin in July of 2021. 

“The NSAA will work with its member schools in taking the next steps regarding a shot clock as this is a state association adoption and not a mandated rule,” Jon Dolliver, NSAA assistant director of basketball, said in May.

The shot clock was among topics discussed by the Basketball Rules Committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations at its annual meeting April 20-22. All recommendations were subsequently approved by the national group’s board of directors.

In May, the national group gave its blessing for state associations to adopt a 35-second shot clock for the 2022-23 season.

The national group’s rule 2-14 says that each state association may adopt a shot clock beginning in the 2022-23 season — according to guidelines outlined in the Basketball Rules Book — to encourage standardization among states.

Guidelines include displaying two timepieces that are connected to a horn that is distinctive from the game-clock horn, and using an alternative timing device, such as a stopwatch at the scorer’s table, for a shot clock malfunction. The guidelines also allow for corrections to the shot clock only during the shot-clock period in which an error occurred and the officials have definite information relative to the mistake or malfunction.