The TSSAA Board of Control recently sat down and approved the implementation of a 35-second shot clock in Tennessee high school basketball, being passed on an 8-4 majority vote. It will be mandatory for every school in TN to have shot clocks by the start of the 2029-2030 school season.

There has been a lot of chatter over the years on the following rule of adding a shot clock in high school games in TN, but it has not become a reality until now. It is a monumental change, but one that feels mainly beneficial to the game. Coach of the Tullahoma girls’ basketball team, Chad Hibdon, agrees.

“I believe it is a good thing for high school basketball. Eventually it will be an NFHS standard for all states I believe. I think it helps create a faster pace for all teams and helps avoid strategies of holding the ball. It also helps players adjust to the college game for those who go to the next level and play college basketball,” said Hibdon.

As Hibdon mentioned, it prevents teams from opting to hold the ball as a strategy. Thus, taking away the moments where schools are not making any effort at advancing a possession.

One extreme example of this happened last season in a postseason game between Portland and Liberty Creek High School. The following instance went semi-viral on the social media platform X.

In the contest between the two squads, Portland, in the first three minutes, opted to hold the ball at half court and not move whatsoever. That strategy proved to be ineffective as they lost to Liberty Creek 48-40.

The implementation of the shot clock will also help reward good defensive teams, like the Lady Wildcats last season. It essentially acts as a sixth defender. If teams prevent their opponents from any good scoring opportunities, the shot clock winding down will force them into taking an unideal shot. This comes from the fact that if a team still has possession of the ball after the shot clock expires without taking a shot, the play would result in a turnover.

The following rule, implemented by the TSSAA, will be phased in over time, again with the mandatory date for all schools to have them available by the 2029-2030 school season. Teams can start using shot clocks in the Hall of Champions game and also in holiday tournaments this season.

Schools will face different obstacles in getting shot clocks into their gym, whether that be the infrastructure of their building or possibly even the price of the installation. As of now, it is uncertain if schools themselves will have to solely pay for their shot clocks being installed. That whole process cost a pretty penny, ranging between $3,000 and$9,000.

Coach Hibdon stated that with the news just recently dropping, June 9, Tullahoma, as of now, does not have a set time for when they will implement shot clocks in their home gym.