Kristian Ferrell
In basketball, a buzzer beater is a shot taken before the game clock expires but does not go in the basket until after the clock expires and the buzzer sounds. The term is reserved for baskets that beat an end-of-quarter buzzer but sometimes refers to shots that beat the shot clock buzzer. In the NBA, the shot clock starts at 24 seconds, and teams have this long to shoot the ball, not to make a basket or hit the rim. Therefore, if a player releases the ball before the buzzer sounds, the shot still counts if it goes in, even if the clock expires before the ball goes through the hoop.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does the ball have to go in before the buzzer? | No, the ball only needs to leave the player's hand before the buzzer sounds. |
| What if the ball is still in the player's hand when the buzzer sounds? | The shot does not count. |
| What if the ball is out of the player's hand when the buzzer sounds? | The basket counts. |
| What if the ball hits the rim and then bounces and goes in after the buzzer sounds? | It's a valid shot as long as there were no fouls. |
| What if the ball hits the ground or touches another player after leaving the player's hand but before going into the basket? | It's a dead ball. |
| What is a buzzer beater? | A successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. |
| Does the term 'buzzer beater' only apply to basketball? | No, it is also used in ice hockey, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, and gridiron football. |
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What You'll Learn
The ball must leave the player's hands before the buzzer
In basketball, a buzzer beater refers to a shot taken before the game clock of a quarter expires but does not go in the basket until after the clock expires and the buzzer sound. The term is usually reserved for baskets that beat an end-of-quarter buzzer but sometimes refers to shots that beat the shot clock buzzer.
For a shot to count, the ball must leave the player's hand before the buzzer sounds. If the ball is still in the player's hand when the buzzer sounds, the basket does not count. This is known as the Trent Tucker Rule, which took effect for the 1990–91 season.
Officials in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, Serie A (Italy), and the EuroLeague (Final Four series only, effective 2006) are required to use instant replay to assess whether a shot made at the end of a period was released before the game clock expired.
The NBA also mandated LED light strips along the edges of the backboard and scorer's table to identify the end of the quarter clearly. This rule ensures that a basket only counts if the ball leaves the player's hand before the lights come on, even if it is still in the air when they illuminate.
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The ball can go in the basket after the buzzer
In basketball, a ""buzzer beater" is a shot taken before the game clock of a quarter expires but does not go in the basket until after the clock expires and the buzzer sounds. The term is normally reserved for baskets that beat an end-of-quarter buzzer but are sometimes referred to as shots that beat the shot clock buzzer.
A shot counts as a "buzzer beater" as long as the ball leaves the shooter's hand before the buzzer sounds. If the buzzer goes off once the ball leaves the player's hand and no one else touches it, the ball is still good until it goes in, bounces off the rim, hits the backboard, or hits the ground.
Officials in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, Serie A (Italy), and the Euroleague (Final Four series only, effective 2006) are required to use instant replay to assess whether a shot made at the end of a period was released before the game clock expired.
The Trent Tucker rule, which took effect for the 1990-1991 season, states that no less than 0.3 seconds must expire on the game clock and shot clock when a ball is thrown inbounds and then hit instantly out-of-bounds.
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The Trent Tucker rule
With the game tied at 106 and just one-tenth of a second left, the Knicks had possession. During a time-out, the team prepared for what was seen as the only way they could win: an alley-oop tap-in from out of bounds by Patrick Ewing. However, when play resumed, the alley-oop play was broken up, and the ball was instead thrown inbounds to Tucker, who turned and hit a three-point jump shot before the buzzer, giving the Knicks the win. Replays showed that the clock had not been started until Tucker's shot was already in the air, and the Bulls subsequently filed an official protest with the NBA.
Although the Bulls lost the protest, the dispute led to the creation of the Trent Tucker Rule. The rule essentially states that with less than 0.3 seconds on the clock, a player cannot perform a catch-and-shoot; only a tip-in or high lob counts as a valid shot. This rule was adopted in the 1990–91 NBA season and has also been adopted by the WNBA, FIBA, and other basketball leagues.
Critics of the rule argue that it limits last-second drama and takes away the opportunity for a skilled player to make a buzzer-beating shot. However, supporters of the rule believe it keeps the final seconds of a game more predictable and fair, given the limitations of human reaction time and the clock's precision.
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Instant replay verification
In basketball, a buzzer-beater is a thrilling moment when a player takes a shot before the game clock expires, but the ball goes through the basket after the buzzer sounds. Traditionally, the determination of whether a buzzer-beater counted was based on the official's judgment and the timing of the buzzer. However, with the advent of instant replay technology, the process has become more precise and reliable.
Officials from prominent basketball organizations, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Basketball Association (NBA), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Serie A (Italy), and the Euroleague (Final Four series), are mandated to use instant replay for verification. This technology was adopted by the WNBA in 1997, the NBA in the 2002-2003 season, and college FIBA in 2010.
The use of instant replay has led to some notable moments in basketball history. For example, in a game between Texas and Providence College in 2004, instant replay confirmed that P. J. Tucker's buzzer-beater counted, as the ball had left his hand before the game clock hit zero, despite the red backboard light coming on after the release. This example highlights how instant replay verification provides a definitive assessment of whether a buzzer-beater should count, adding excitement and fairness to the game.
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The shot clock rule
The validity of a buzzer-beating shot is determined by when the ball leaves the player's hand, not when it goes through the hoop. If the ball is still in the player's hand when the buzzer sounds, the shot does not count. However, if the ball has left the player's hand before the buzzer, the shot is valid as long as it doesn't touch another player or hit the ground.
Officials may use instant replay to assess whether a shot was released before the buzzer, particularly in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, Serie A (Italy), and the Euroleague (Final Four series only, effective 2006).
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Frequently asked questions
No, the basketball does not have to go in the hoop before the buzzer. If the basketball leaves the player's hands before the buzzer sounds, the shot counts as long as it goes in, even if the buzzer sounds before the ball goes through the hoop.
A buzzer beater is a shot made as the clock expires at the end of a quarter, the second half, or overtime. The term is usually applied to baskets that beat an end-of-quarter buzzer but can also refer to shots that beat the shot clock buzzer.
A buzzer beater is a shot that is taken just before the buzzer sounds to indicate the end of a quarter or the game. The shot still counts as long as the ball has left the player's hands before the buzzer sounds, even if it goes in after the buzzer.
