Montgomery Board of Education Approves Funding for New Basketball Scoreboards, Shot Clocks

January 30, 2026

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP — The Montgomery Township Board of Education has approved funding to modernize the high school gymnasium scoreboards in anticipation of a possible statewide move toward a shot clock in high school basketball.

At its Tuesday, January 27 meeting, the board unanimously approved agenda item 3.19, authorizing $28,575 for the removal and disposal of the current basketball scoreboards and the purchase and installation of two new scoreboards equipped with shot clocks.

The upgrade positions Montgomery ahead of a potential change in New Jersey high school basketball rules. While there is currently no shot clock in use in Montgomery’s gym, the new equipment would allow the district to comply quickly if the state’s athletic governing bodies move to require one.

Montgomery’s athletic director Kris Grundy, who also serves as the varsity basketball coach, said in a statement that the district is planning ahead.

“We are hopeful it will be passed by the ADs in the state and will be ready for implementation for the 2027/2028 season,” the athletic director said.

The move follows a national trend. Many states, under National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) guidance, have begun adopting a 35-second shot clock at the high school level. The shot clock is already standard at the professional and collegiate levels, though the specific time limits vary:

24 seconds in the NBA, WNBA and under FIBA rules.
30 seconds in both men’s and women’s college basketball.
35 seconds in many high school jurisdictions that have adopted a clock.

In all cases, the shot clock is designed to prevent long, stagnant possessions and to encourage a faster pace of play. The clock typically resets to the full time on a change of possession — such as a turnover or defensive rebound — and in some rule sets resets to a shorter time (for example, 14 seconds in the NBA and FIBA) on an offensive rebound.

A shot clock violation is called when the buzzer sounds before the ball touches the rim, resulting in a turnover and awarding possession to the opposing team. A designated shot clock operator is responsible for starting, stopping and resetting the clock based on officials’ signals and whether a shot has made contact with the rim.

For Montgomery, the approval of item 3.19 is both a facilities upgrade and a strategic step toward future-proofing its basketball program.

The new scoreboards and integrated shot clocks will be installed in the high school gymnasium on a timeline still to be finalized, but district officials say the goal is to be ready well in advance of any potential statewide implementation, including the projected 2027–2028 season.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com