In a peculiar turn of events, two basketball teams must complete their pre-match preparations and warm-ups to replay just 0.3 seconds of a Division One playoff that ended in contentious circumstances last month. The Portlaoise Panthers were narrowly defeated, 80-78, by the Limerick Sport Eagles at St Mary’s Hall, their home ground, on 23rd March.
The climax of this second-tier men’s playoff resulted in uproar amongst the home supporters. The score was level when Limerick’s Jason Killeen – an ex-Ireland captain who had previously played college basketball in the United States for Winthrop and Augusta State – was judged to have been fouled while attempting a shot just as the buzzer went off. Both of Killeen’s free throws found the net, securing a win for his team, while leaving Portlaoise to protest vehemently: they argued that those free throws should not have been permitted as the match clock had run out, marking the end of the game.
The aftermath saw a formal appeal for a rematch by considering the referees and the commissioner were in error; this request was initially supported by the National Appeals Committee (NAC), stating it would be a glaring injustice not to grant a rematch. The NAC ordered a full rematch at the original venue – their decision was deemed final.
However, the verdict was anything but final, evoking Limerick’s wrath. They claimed that the correct protocols were not adhered to, and they weren’t given the opportunity to partake in the appeal hearing. Portlaoise reported that they received multiple calls from a high-ranking member of Basketball Ireland’s executive, urging them to retract their appeal. They expressed their concerns on this approach.
On Tuesday, a new statement from Basketball Ireland corrected their previous error, stating that in-game refereeing decisions cannot be retracted. They acknowledged the NAC’s decision but decided against a full replay. Instead, the remaining 0.3 seconds of the quarter-final will be replayed this week with Basketball Ireland coordinating with both clubs to establish the timing.
The ‘Trent Tucker rule,’ which was instituted after a debated last-second score in a 1990 NBA match, stipulates that a team must have at least 0.3 seconds (or three tenths of a second) to attempt a goal after a free throw. This rule encompasses both instances of regaining possession after a free throw and throw-ins.
In terms of forthcoming fixtures, the winners of the upcoming, as-yet-unscheduled basketball match will progress to the semi-final round to compete against Tolka Rovers.