Final shots should be reviewable plays

The term "upon further review" will be part of high school basketball this season. And that's a good thing.

Replay equipment may be used to anal yze whether a player released the ball before the final buzzer or if the shot was a 2- or 3-pointer at the end of regulation or overtime. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee approved the replay rule, and AHSAA Central Board of Control approved it earlier this year.

This is just good common sense.

The NFHS ratified the use of replay after three states — South Carolina, Michigan and Ohio — had games with state title implications end at the buzzer, but a video replay was not available to the officials, according to www.ahsaa.com.

The AHSAA rule allows officials to review a play on a courtside monitor when TV is already broadcasting a game. This means the AHSAA will not provide equipment to facilitate the replays, but rather this will be an option for officials if TV is there.

And that won't be very often.

Games at the Final 48 — the name given to the AHSAA state semifinals in Birmingham — are televised, so that will make replay available at the most visible and important games of the season. So few games are on TV, this rule change might not even be used this season.

It's just a good thing that it's available.

Players, coaches, officials and fans want nothing to do with a controversial ending, especially if it determines the state champion.

Officials have a difficult job. This makes it a little easier.

Contact Josh Bean at:

jbean@press-register.com