River 17 @ Fort Frye 21 Final " Stall Ball"

[efarns]

I hate all stalling tactics in basketball. I hate it when the game is out of hand. I hate it when the game is close. i hate it when teams do it the entire game. The shot clock was put in place in higher levels of play because even with the best players in the world, the defense can only force the action to a certain degree. In other words, getting a steal takes quite a bit more skill than holding onto the ball. "Offense" means you are trying to score. Just standing on the court with the ball on your hip for five minutes is not playing basketball.

[EasternDspy]

I've always hated teams that stall. Running offense for mins of a time for a good time is one thing but just plain out right holding it is bad for the game. Also another reason we need a shot clock is for the times in the tournament when a team gets up 3 possessions and decides to just stall the last qt of a game.

[Daddy_Tiger]

You guys have every right not to like it, but everyone should respect a teams right to do it.

I'd say a lot of people in that gym didn't like it, but it produced a terrific ending.

Fort Frye ultimately contributed to the pace of play with their choices on defense. You can complain about River slowing it down, but FF could have stopped a River just standing there very easily.

As someone that played against FF in some huge games, I'm honestly shocked and disappointed how the crowd handled it the other night.

[EasternDspy]

Playing close games is good for a team come tourney time so this game can be used as a benefit.

[efarns]

Can you think of another sport where holding the ball without trying to advance or score with it it is considered an actual tactic?

[Daddy_Tiger]

Can you think of another sport where holding the ball without trying to advance or score with it it is considered an actual tactic?

Soccer, hockey.

You seem to not want to address the fact that FF made zero effort the majority of the time to defend.

When they did, River was not looking to not score. They were just very selective in the shots they took. FF decided to have River stand with the ball as much as River was willing to stand there. You tell me you've never seen a team hold it out front to force a team to come out of a zone?

[enigmaax]

Can you think of another sport where holding the ball without trying to advance or score with it it is considered an actual tactic?

Kneel down in football. Though there is a limited time that this can work, it is the same concept of simply trying to shorten the game.

Basketball does have a rule in place that would prevent a single player from holding the ball on his hip for 6 minutes at a time and it requires minimal effort from the defense. Minimal effort that apparently wasn't exhibited in this game. I don't understand why.

[Raider6309]

Athens girls held the ball for the entire third quarter against Vinton. Athens was winning tho. long overdue for a 30 second shot clock

[efarns]

I wasn't at this game and am not even talking about it., butI like the examples you gave for other sports. Let's look at them closer.

Football - There is a limitation built into the rules that you can kneel down for 4 downs, then the other team gets the ball.
Hockey - The number of players on the ice + the size of the rink + inertia on ice = holding the puck much more difficult; it's theoretically possible
Soccer - That's the one good example. Do you want basketball to be more like a 1-0 soccer match? I don't.

I was actually compelled by the practical issues you raised about the ways a shot clock might complicate the game on the high school level. Volunteers are only human and it's one more variable, plus the added expense to schools of adding shot clocks to their courts are real barriers to implementing the rule in my mind.

[Billybob55]

The ironic part about this is that fort frye used the stall ball tactic for years. Now when it happened to them it's the end of the world. Fort frye fans are sore winners and sore losers

[Raiderball]

I have to agree with enginemaxx on this one.


no recruiting (legally) at the high school level. You play the players you have. Sometimes you just don't have the horses to match up with stronger/better teams. If holdiing the ball gives my team the best chance of beating your team why take the strategy out of my hands? If you don't want me to hold the ball you have the option of playing defense and forcing me to play.
How many games a year do you see like this?
In a normal game, how many possessions last more than 35 seconds? Anyone care to chart this at the next game you attend?

[efarns]

The ironic part about this is that fort frye used the stall ball tactic for years. Now when it happened to them it's the end of the world. Fort frye fans are sore winners and sore losers

Wrong. I have seen one game 30 years ago when Fort Frye used a stall.