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Unsportsmanlike Conduct - clock stops which helps the penalized team


slice60

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This also occurred in Friday's game (Zionsville at FC).

Final few seconds of 1st half, Team A has possession, Team A is out of timeouts. Ball carrier is tackled short of the 1st down marker inbounds. Clock is running. Just after the play ends, a flag is thrown & the clock is stopped with 0:02 left-- 15 yd Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty against Team A. Penalty is marked off. Game clock does not start until the ball is snapped. Therefore, Team A was able to run 1 more offensive play which they never would have been able to do without that penalty.

Was that situation handled properly? Are there any HS rules with a 10-second runoff or something similar? 

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6 minutes ago, slice60 said:

This also occurred in Friday's game (Zionsville at FC).

Final few seconds of 1st half, Team A has possession, Team A is out of timeouts. Ball carrier is tackled short of the 1st down marker inbounds. Clock is running. Just after the play ends, a flag is thrown & the clock is stopped with 0:02 left-- 15 yd Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty against Team A. Penalty is marked off. Game clock does not start until the ball is snapped. Therefore, Team A was able to run 1 more offensive play which they never would have been able to do without that penalty.

Was that situation handled properly? Are there any HS rules with a 10-second runoff or something similar? 

We have no rules where time is run off the clock. If the runner was down inbounds, why did the game clock start on the snap? The only reason would be if someone called a timeout after the play. The clock would be stopped to administer the penalty, and then would start on the Referee’s ready for play signal.

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56 minutes ago, Bobref said:

We have no rules where time is run off the clock. If the runner was down inbounds, why did the game clock start on the snap? The only reason would be if someone called a timeout after the play. The clock would be stopped to administer the penalty, and then would start on the Referee’s ready for play signal.

Head Ref started 0:25 Play Clock but did not wind the Game Clock...mistake by him. That explains it. 

However, if Team A was prepared to snap right away, they could've still run a play even if the Game Clock started up.

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9 minutes ago, slice60 said:

Head Ref started 0:25 Play Clock but did not wind the Game Clock...mistake by him. That explains it. 

However, if Team A was prepared to snap right away, they could've still run a play even if the Game Clock started up.

That is correct. The only way to prevent that is to not throw the flag in the first place.

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23 minutes ago, Bobref said:

That is correct. The only way to prevent that is to not throw the flag in the first place.

Absolutely true. Keep flag in pocket & have a brief 1-on-1 with the young man as the clock hits 0:00 so they he knows not to do that again. 

Keeps game flowing better too.

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Had a discussion with some officials on a very similar play. Absent the foul there is no way A would have been able to snap the ball. They shouldn't get that option because they fouled. I would start the game clock but not make the ball ready for play (U stay over the ball) and let the game clock run out.

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3 hours ago, JustRules said:

Had a discussion with some officials on a very similar play. Absent the foul there is no way A would have been able to snap the ball. They shouldn't get that option because they fouled. I would start the game clock but not make the ball ready for play (U stay over the ball) and let the game clock run out.

Interesting. When is a ball both ready and not ready for play? If you get a coach that knows the rules, what are you going to cite to him as rules support for handling it that way?

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Interesting. When is a ball both ready and not ready for play? If you get a coach that knows the rules, what are you going to cite to him as rules support for handling it that way?

You have the ability to start and stop the clock any time you wish if you feel a team is consuming or conserving time illegally. It's not unlike accidentally stopping the clock when you think there is a turnover and starting it again when you realize the offense still has it. You start the game clock without making the ball ready for play. You could also rely on the God rule to apply what you feel is equitable to address situations not covered specifically in the rules. Several other people said they would use that. The majority definitely felt the offense should not benefit in a time aspect by committing a foul that stops the clock.

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15 hours ago, slice60 said:

This also occurred in Friday's game (Zionsville at FC).

Final few seconds of 1st half, Team A has possession, Team A is out of timeouts. Ball carrier is tackled short of the 1st down marker inbounds. Clock is running. Just after the play ends, a flag is thrown & the clock is stopped with 0:02 left-- 15 yd Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty against Team A. Penalty is marked off. Game clock does not start until the ball is snapped. Therefore, Team A was able to run 1 more offensive play which they never would have been able to do without that penalty.

Was that situation handled properly? Are there any HS rules with a 10-second runoff or something similar? 

Just wanted to add a reminder this was under 2 minutes in a half, not only should the clock have been rolling after the penalty was administered, but Team B should have been given the option if they wanted the clock to run or not, which obviously they would have wanted it to run. 

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16 minutes ago, 5GetsYou1 said:

Just wanted to add a reminder this was under 2 minutes in a half, not only should the clock have been rolling after the penalty was administered, but Team B should have been given the option if they wanted the clock to run or not, which obviously they would have wanted it to run. 

Correct. They get the option to have the clock start on the snap if it would otherwise start on the RFP by rule. But they don't have the other option. They can't choose to have it start on the RFP if by rule it would have started on the snap.

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56 minutes ago, 5GetsYou1 said:

Just wanted to add a reminder this was under 2 minutes in a half, not only should the clock have been rolling after the penalty was administered, but Team B should have been given the option if they wanted the clock to run or not, which obviously they would have wanted it to run. 

 

39 minutes ago, JustRules said:

Correct. They get the option to have the clock start on the snap if it would otherwise start on the RFP by rule. But they don't have the other option. They can't choose to have it start on the RFP if by rule it would have started on the snap.

Since it is obvious the offended team would want the clock to run, I wouldn’t even give them the option of starting the game clock on the snap, if the option existed.

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Crew didn't ask Team B if they wanted the Game Clock to start on ready for play.

Same crew that mistakenly enforced a downfield holding penalty from the line of scrimmage on a 15yd gain apparently because there was a backward lateral on a reverse. (See other thread posted on 9/13.) The lateral occurred well before the holding. Instead of a 10yd penalty walkoff, Team B was pushed back 25 yards.

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