When Does the Clock Start for an Incoming Basketball Pass?

Clock management is a key part of a National Basketball Association (NBA) head coach's duties. With an out-of-bounds play, a coach may take advantage of a little-known rule to keep the clock stopped and advance the inbound ball at the same time.

  1. Game Clock

    • In the NBA, the clock stops on all play stoppages. With less than 0.3 seconds remaining, it is deemed impossible to catch and shoot a basketball within that time. An option involves removing the catch entirely with the out-of-bounds alley-oop. This play is possible because of the how the clock works for an in-bounds pass.

    In-bounds Pass

    • In basketball, when play is stopped, the ball is thrown back in play from either the sideline or the end-line. You might have seen players let the ball roll down the court before picking it up. This is because the game clock starts to run only when a player comes in contact with the ball.

    The Official Rule

    • If play is resumed by a throw-in from out-of-bounds, the game clock shall be

      started when the ball is legally touched by any player within the playing area of the court.