(01-13-2019 08:21 AM)DFW Owl Wrote: Studies have shown average human response time to visual stimulii is between 0.25 and 0.3 secs. Probably even longer for reacting to stimulii like seeing when a player touches a basketball at distance in a dynamic situation. So really 0.5 sec on clock is actually more like 0.8 secs at the minimum and probably even more.
If they want to to get timing exactly correct as to when to start (and stop) the clock they need to use video replay.
Edit: Not sure how the studies are done but I guess the clock operator does have the advantage of seeing the action before the touch so can anticipate to some extent. Still they have to wait until the actual event occurs and am sure there is delay before clock start.
In theory, there are two reactions that happen: the on-court official reacts to the touch by giving his "start-the-clock" signal, and the clock operator reacts to the official's signal.
In practice, you would hope that the clock operator has the sense to start the clock immediately upon definitively seeing the touch. But the tendency of clock operators to default to rigid adherence to procedure when it benefits their employer is uncanny.
It can be especially galling in football. When a receiver makes a sideline catch and goes out of bounds, the official blows the whistle, signals catch, marks the spot, and then signals to stop the clock. When it's late in the game and the home team is on defense with a lead, the clock operator seems to take extra care and patience not just in waiting for the full sequence of signals to play out, but even in making sure that the official has waved his arms not once but a couple of times for stopping the clock.
Ideally clock operators would be part of the assigned officiating crew, rather than employees of the home team. And even more ideally, the clock operator would himself be an official; clock operator would be just one of the positions on that day's crew. I served as a clock operator for several games at the World Lacrosse Championships in 2014. It was a very informative experience, and the sense of really being on the same team as the on-field crew, rather than a home-team staff person who just has to interact with them for that game, was strongly felt by me and by the on-field officials. That's how it should be.