Starting in the 2027-28 season, a 35-second shot clock will be implemented in all NJSIAA high school basketball games. The change comes as a result of a full NJSIAA membership vote that narrowly passed 170-166 on May 4. This change was strongly supported by Westfield basketball players and coaches, and will allow for more competitive play and less stalling near the end of close games.
Girls basketball coach Liz McKeon, who was “majorly in favor” of the shot clock, said, “Coaches and supporters argued that New Jersey basketball was falling behind other states, and that a shot clock would better prepare athletes for college basketball.”
Private schools in New Jersey already use the shot clock, and according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 32 states already use the shot clock. Along with New Jersey, Alabama also voted to add it this year.
According to NJSIAA Referee Jeff Pereira, the purpose of the shot clock is “to speed up the game. So, the offense, if they are up by a decent amount, don’t just hold onto the ball and make the defense have to foul them in order to stop the clock. It will keep the flow of the game moving, instead of one team trying to stall.”
Jack Doherty, a sophomore varsity basketball player, is happy with the change, and said, “If it were up to me, I would implement the shot clock because it will make games more competitive and fast-paced.”
Sophomore varsity basketball player Kate Cymbor added that the shot clock will allow teams to run the game pace faster and be more efficient. “It is gonna really help us,” said Cymbor.
Players and coaches agree that the shot clock will be an adjustment, yet ultimately, it will help change the high school game for the better. “I think [the shot clock] is going to make the game go faster and prevent stalling at the end of the game, which I think is gonna be a really good move for high school basketball,” added Cymbor.
Boys basketball coach James McKeon added from a practice standpoint, “It’s going to be a little bit more of an emphasis this year on ending game scenarios because a two-minute ending game before the shot clock, it could be two minutes [of one team maintaining possession]. Now, it’s four possessions. So it’s a lot different. So I think that you’re going to see a little bit of strategic gameplay change from game to game.”
Athletic director Jim Desarno explained that the state-wide meeting on May 4 included four votes: Basketball shot clocks, lacrosse shot clocks, allowing “tri-op” teams for girls wrestling, enabling three schools to combine and feed into a single wrestling squad and certifying flag football as an NJSIAA sport. All but the lacrosse 80-second shot clock were approved because of budget concerns and personnel shortages according to nj.com.
The addition of this shot clock to the basketball game was well thought out, and now that it is approved, NJSIAA schools will need to take the steps to be able to implement it for the 2027-28 basketball season.
Desarno said that the athletic department has yet to make plans to fund and buy the clocks, but the school would “love to be able to get them in sooner [rather] than later. It’s always good to have them in place and get to start to use them, both from a team standpoint, but also from an administrative standpoint. We don’t want to go into the first game with people not knowing how they function.”
High school athletics are constantly evolving, and implementing the shot clock for basketball will provide a competitive change.
