[TXMike]

3-3-f-4

4. When the offensive team believes it is unable to communicate its signals to teammates other than players positioned more than seven yards from the middle lineman of the offensive formation because of crowd noise. Following are administrative procedures for unfair noise (Rule 3-4-2-b-3):
(a) When the signal caller believes he is unable to communicate signals to teammates because of crowd noise, he may raise his hands and look to the referee to request a legal delay.
(b) The referee may deny the request by pointing toward the defensive team’s goal line or may charge himself with a timeout and the offensive team may huddle.
(c) When the offensive team returns to the line of scrimmage, the game clock will start on the snap. The referee shall declare the ball ready for play by sounding his whistle with no hand signal.
The 25-second clock is not in operation (Rule 3-4-2-b-3).
(d) Should the signal caller then, or later in the game, request a second legal delay by raising his hands and looking to the referee, the referee will charge himself with a timeout again if, in his opinion, the crowd noise makes it impossible to hear offensive signals.
(e) The referee then will request the defensive captain to ask the crowd for quiet. This signals the public-address announcer to request cooperation and courtesy to the offensive team. The announcer will state that the defensive team will be charged a timeout, or be penalized five yards if timeouts are exhausted, for the next crowd-noise infraction.
(f) When the offensive team returns to the line of scrimmage, the game clock will start on the snap. The referee shall declare the ball ready for play by sounding his whistle with no hand signal. The 25-second clock is not in operation (Rule 3-4-2-b-3).
(g) If the signal caller again during the game indicates by raising his hands and looking to the referee to request a legal crowd-noise delay and the referee agrees, a team timeout will be charged to the defensive team. If the defensive team has exhausted its allotment of timeouts, a five-yard penalty is assessed.
(h) After this timeout or the penalty, the defensive team will be penalized five yards for each unsuccessful attempt to start a play. VIOLATION—Rules 3-3-6 and 3-4-2-b [S3 or S21].
Summary of crowd-noise procedures:
Step No. 1—Referee’s timeout.
Step No. 2—Referee’s timeout plus captain’s notification and publicaddress announcement.
Step No. 3—Timeout or five-yard penalty if timeouts are exhausted.
Step No. 4—Five-yard penalty for each additional infraction.