Portlaoise basketball club say they will not replay final 0.3 seconds of playoff match

Portlaoise Panthers basketball club are refusing to play the final 0.3 seconds of its Division One playoff match against Limerick Sport Eagles, calling the decision “completely against the spirit of basketball”

Portlaoise were beaten 80-78 at their home venue of St Mary’s Hall on March 23rd. However, the conclusion of the second-tier men’s playoff match sparked fury among the home fans, with Limerick’s Jason Killeen, a former Ireland captain and US college player for Winthrop and Augusta State, adjudged to have been fouled while attempting to shoot as the buzzer sounded.

The scores had been tied but Killeen was allowed to take his free throws, both of which he converted, to give his side the win.

Portlaoise complained that free throws should not have been awarded as the clock had expired and therefore the match had ended. This spilled over behind the scenes into a formal appeal for a replay of the match, which was initially upheld by the National Appeals Committee (NAC)

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On Tuesday, Basketball Ireland issued a fresh statement saying: “The National Appeals Committee ruled that the game should be replayed in its entirety. Basketball Ireland and the National League Committee [NLC] acknowledge this decision by the NAC, however this option to appeal to the NAC was granted in error by the National League Committee, because on-court refereeing decisions cannot be overturned.

“The NLC has ruled that the fixture will not be replayed in full, however the remaining 0.3 seconds of the quarter-final is to be played this week and Basketball Ireland will be in liaison with the clubs to determine when.”

The 0.3 sec relates to the minimum amount of time that a team is allowed to take a shot following a free throw. Known as the Trent Tucker rule, following a contentious late score in a 1990 NBA game, it reads: “The game clock or the shot clock must show 0.3 (3 tenths of a second) or more for a player to gain control of the ball on a throw-in or on a rebound after the last free throw in order to attempt a shot for a goal.”

In a statement released on Wednesday, Portlaoise outlined their opposition to playing the final 0.3 seconds, saying that was never the grounds of their appeal.

“Our appeal was solely based on, and supported by video evidence, that the final foul call was 1.6 seconds after the buzzer had sounded. Initially the NAC found against this appeal but awarded a replay on the basis that there should have been 0.3 left.

“This was not what we appealed. The NLC initially overruled their own appeals processes and then later changed their position that ‘our option to appeal to the NAC was granted in error’.

“We would like to clearly state that at each step we followed the correct procedures as laid out by Basketball Ireland but we feel we have not been treated the same in return. We fully appreciate the disruption this has caused the clubs remaining in the Division 1 playoffs and it was never our intention for this to be dragged on for the length it has been by our governing body.

“We think the ordering of 0.3 seconds to be replayed of our quarter final is completely against the spirit of basketball and as said above was never the basis for appeal. We would never ask nor expect Limerick Sport Eagles, a club whom we hold in the highest regard, to travel to Portlaoise to play the remaining 0.3 seconds. It would be in nobody’s interest and would not be adherent to the values of the game of basketball. To be clear if we are instructed to take to the court the play the 0.3 seconds we will refuse to do so.”