Photo by Kyle Parmley
The AHSAA has implemented a shot clock beginning with the 2026-27 season. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association's Central Board of Control has approved several significant changes heading into the 2026-27 school year, including a shot clock for basketball and the election of the organization's first female president in its 105-year history.
Beginning with the 2026-27 season, all AHSAA basketball games will be played with a 35-second shot clock, bringing Alabama in line with a growing national trend. The board also extended the "Mercy" rule — a running clock triggered by a 30-point fourth-quarter lead — to include the state finals.
“This is something we have been studying a good while, and our basketball coaches’ leadership has been at the forefront of this decision,” said AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon of the shot clock. “We think this is the right time. We felt it needed to be added at the beginning of a classification period and not in the middle.”
Kim Kiel of Pelham City Schools was unanimously elected as the first female president in AHSAA history. A Hall of Fame inductee in the Class of 2026, Kiel has served as a teacher, coach, athletic director, principal and assistant superintendent. She also officiated basketball at the high school and college levels, including the NCAA Division II Final Four.
The AHSAA also announced that Choose Act funds will no longer be counted as financial aid for eligibility purposes, meaning no student will be ruled ineligible solely for receiving Choose Act funds. Standard transfer and residency rules still apply.
The Legislative Council also ratified three proposals, including one requiring transfer students to be visibly identified on school rosters and another mandating public disclosure of raw vote totals on all legislative matters.
More details about the specifics of the shot clock implementation are expected to be announced in the coming months.
