PIAA Sets the Shot Clock in Motion for High School Basketball
By: SportzWire | Sportzwire | July 16, 2025 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus Photography
After years of debate, Pennsylvania high school basketball is on the path to a major change. The PIAA has taken its first formal step toward introducing a 35-second shot clock for all varsity games, targeting the 2028-29 season for statewide implementation.
The move, approved by a 22-9 board vote on first reading, reflects growing support across the state—especially in the WPIAL, where the majority of schools backed the change. While not yet official, two more votes are expected in the coming months to finalize the decision.
This shift would bring Pennsylvania in line with a growing number of states embracing shot clocks to modernize high school basketball. By the 2026-27 season, more than 30 states and Washington, D.C. will use a shot clock in some capacity, according to national data.
The support for the clock isn’t uniform across all school sizes. Larger schools, especially in Class 6A and 5A, overwhelmingly favored the addition. Smaller schools, particularly in Class A, raised concerns about cost and logistics. These concerns helped shape the delayed rollout, giving schools a three-year window to prepare budgets and staffing.
The PIAA’s vote came despite no clear recommendation from its basketball steering committee, which couldn’t agree on a start date. But by aligning with the next two-year competition cycle in 2028, the board aims to ensure a smoother statewide transition.
If the upcoming votes hold, the shot clock era in Pennsylvania high school hoops is officially on the horizon.
