Once the National Federation of State High School Associations’ rules committee in 2021 approved the use of 35-second shot clocks, states around the country have been in full-court press to make them mandatory.
According to NFHS, 29 states required the use of a shot clock for the 2025-2026 school year, and this year Illinois and Oklahoma now are being added.
In June, the Illinois High School Association board of directors voted to require shot clocks for boys and girls basketball games for the 2026-2027 school year. Schools in Illinois will not be able to host a game unless shot clocks are installed on both backboards. This does not apply to freshmen, sophomore and JV games. The school must also provide a shot clock operator…