(WAND) - The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors met for its board meeting in Bloomington on June 15 where it finalized expectations for the 35-second shot clock, which is required for varsity boys and girls basketball contests starting with the 2026-27 IHSA season.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said, "It is important that we provide clearcut guidelines to our schools on the expectations for the shot clock as we move toward the 2026-27 season. We believe our Board was forward-thinking in providing significant planning time for schools to prepare for the shot clock. It is imperative that all schools to prepare for the shot clock. It is imperative that all schools are afforded the same competitive experience and that every student-athlete competes under consistent conditions. By establishing these expectations, schools have had ample opportunity to budget, plan, and install the necessary equipment, ensuring an equitable environment."
The Board voted to accept the recommendation of the IHSA Basketball Advisory Committee by adding State Association Adoption #4. That reads, "A school may not host a varsity contest if a shot clock is not installed or is not properly mounted on the backboard in the primary gym in accordance with NFHS rules. The host school must secure an alternate facility or allow the opponent to host the contest. If the host school is unable to secure a gym with functioning shot clocks and the opposing school cannot host, the game shall be forfeited by the home team."
For events that use multiple-gyms Adoption #4 states, "When a school hosts a tournament or shootout utilizing multiple gyms or sites, and a traditional backboard-mounted shot clock is not feasible in an auxiliary gym, shot clocks must be mounted on the wall behind the basket, at or above the backboard, and must be clearly visible and unobstructed."
The shot clock is optional for lower-level games like junior varsity, sophomore, freshman.
The Board allowed for experimental use of the shot clock in 2022-23 and 2023-24 for tournaments and shootouts. The IHSA Board voted in June of 2024 to implement a 35-second shot clock for all varsity games starting with the 2026-27 season to give schools time to install the devices.
At that same meeting, the Board decided that if both competing teams agreed, the shot clock could be used for regular-season games in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
As of the 2025-26 season, 29 states were requiring the use of the shot clock. Three others offered it as an option.
A statewide survey of Illinois high school coaches done by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association in 2020 showed 75% of the boys head coaches supported the implementation of the shot clock. 68% of girls coaches were in favor.
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