Limerick Sport Eagles rocked by buzzer-beater appeal verdict 

The Irish basketball shedule has been thrown into turmoil after a Portlaoise Panthers appeal was granted on a technicality. 

Limerick Sport Eagles' Jason Killeen 

Irish basketball’s men’s national league first division playoffs have been thrown into disarray after the sport’s National Appeals Committee sensationally ordered that Portlaoise Panthers’ quarter-final against Limerick Sport Eagles be replayed.

Eagles won the original fixture last Saturday night in Portlaoise, 80-78, after former Irish international captain Jason Killeen sank a pair of free throws upon being adjudged to have been fouled in the act of shooting as the buzzer sounded.

Eagles had assumed they had secured their ticket to a home league semi-final against Tolka Rovers this Saturday and had spent much of the week preparing for it. However on Friday evening they were officially informed the game had been cancelled in light of the NAC’s decision on Wednesday evening.

Initially Portlaoise lodged their appeal on the grounds that the free throws should not have been permitted as the clock had expired at the same time that the foul had been called.

Yet while the NAC would find that the free throws were correctly awarded, it also ruled that the referees and match commissioner erred in not placing a fraction of a second back on the clock and allowing a restart of the game.

“Given that both referees and the commissioner erred,” the NAC ruled on Wednesday, “it would be a serious injustice to the appellant not to grant a replay of the game. The NAC directs a full replay of the game at the same venue. The decision of the NAC is final.”

But Limerick Sport Eagles contend they themselves are now the “aggrieved party” that have suffered a serious injustice.

In a statement issued on Friday morning Eagles chair Trevor Moore outlined that a series of national competition regulations were not followed as Eagles were not officially informed of the appeal, received no written copy of the appeal protest and were not allowed the opportunity to either participate in or attend Wednesday’s appeal hearing.

They also have questioned the NAC’s understanding of both the technical rules and what’s standard practice concerning free throws in the last second of a game; had Killeen known there was still a fraction of a second left, Moore claims, he’d have deliberately missed the second free throw to run out the clock.

The National League Committee had earlier advised Eagles that it would not be appealing or revisiting the NAC’s decision though Eagles could appeal the decision to the mediation body SDSI (Sport Dispute Solutions Ireland) if they wanted with all the costs that would involve.

However both the NLC and Basketball Ireland itself are believed to be reconsidering the matter following Eagles’ highlighting flaws in the appeal process and that the appeal should not have been entertained as the match officials’ decision on the night was a “field of play rule decision”, as opposed to something regarding any player’s eligibility.

We were not at fault in this matter and should not be penalised,” said Moore.

“Once [the] decision is made, according to FIBA Rule C5, the matter is final and cannot be appealed to a higher authority. We believe this rule is in place to safeguard the integrity of the sport and ensure that results are not subject to constant challenge, particularly due to human errors made by officials entrusted with overseeing the sport.

“Despite facing numerous adversities, we emerged victorious from a national league fixture. The adoption of the Trent Tucker rule by FIBA, which disallows any regular shot to be taken if the ball is put into play with less than 0.3 seconds remaining in the game or on the shot clock, further solidifies the improbability of altering the game’s outcome.

"With less than 0.3 seconds left on the clock, a full court tip-in would have been required and Portlaoise had no timeouts remaining to advance the ball.

“We contend that we should have been given the opportunity to miss the second free throw, as would be customary in all national league games, rendering it impossible for the opposing team to tip the ball in from full court.”