The PIAA is one vote away from implementing a shot clock for high school basketball

High school basketball coaches in Pennsylvania may soon have to factor the shot clock into their game plans.

If the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) approves the 35-second shot clock for high school varsity and junior varsity games, it will be added in three years.

During a meeting of the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee on Wednesday, PIAA Executive Director Bob Lombardi called the proposal surrounding the implementation of a shot clock an “interesting discussion.”

He said after the steering committee turned down the plan by one vote months ago, the board of directors at its July meeting discussed any concerns about using it and approved it for the first time.

“What came out of that were, the issues were cost, timing of implementation, training of officials, and training of staff to run them,” Lombardi said.

At the PIAA’s October meeting, it gained a second round of approval. The board now has to vote for a third time to give final approval of the shot clock.

The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 3. If approved, the shot clock will become reality for boys’ and girls’ high school basketball games in the 2028-2029 school year.

“So, three years to give everyone the opportunity to be able to purchase it, get them in their budgets, get them placed and we can train officials as well as table workers,” Lombardi said.

TribLive reports that “at least 31 states and Washington, D.C., will use a shot clock in some capacity by the start of the 2026-27 season,” according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.