Shot clock coming to Missouri high school basketball for qualified regular season events

Missouri State High School Activities Association announced change on Wednesday

Incarnate Word won the 2024 Missouri Class 6 girls basketball title / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

The shot clock is coming to Missouri high school basketball on a limited basis for the 2024-25 season.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced on Wednesday that the MSHSAA Board of Directors has approved an allowance for a 35-second shot clock that "can only be used in boys and girls basketball regular season varsity tournaments and shootout-style events involving MSHSAA member schools, with prior approval," according to the press release.

The state association noted that this will not include the basketball postseason.

"In past years, some schools and coaches have requested the use of a shot clock,” MSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Doug Fessler said in a press release. “We are now providing that opportunity, contingent upon compliance with our defined approval process. This also enables tournaments and shootout-style events involving out-of-state schools, where shot clocks are standard, to utilize them during games.”

The minimum requirements set by the MSHSAA are:

• Shot clocks must be permanently mounted and installed.

• All games must be officiated by a 3-person crew.

• Upon approval, all participating schools and officials must be notified and provided this document, which includes the guidelines for the use of the shot clock.

• The shot clock must be operated by a dedicated individual at the score table. Shot clock operators may not have another responsibility during the game.

• Shootout style events must have a minimum of eight participating teams and four total games played on one day.

MSHSAA also provided shot clock guidelines for use in a document provided to schools.

The Illinois High School Association announced in June that Illinois will have a 35-second shot clock, beginning with the 2026-27 school year, after allowing the shot clock to be used in tournaments and shootouts the past two seasons.

"The IHSA has allowed the shot clock to be used in tournaments and shootouts the past two seasons, and the overwhelming feedback we have received from coaches is that it is time to embrace the shot clock in all varsity contests," IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a press release. "We believe the two-season lead time will provide our schools with ample opportunity to install the shot clocks and get comfortable with them from both a coaching and game administration perspective."

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- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com