All of this makes me wonder if a rule change would make this easier. Abolish delay warnings. Get rid of the T for delay after a warning. Take all of the plays that are delays: stop play and charge a TO to the team committing the delaying action. That means there is an actual consequence the first time and that there is a simple T for calling an excessive TO in the kinds of cases we are talking about here.

I didn't know delay of games were so rampant. I may have had a handful each year. I don't think this is as big a problem as you or some others on this board think it is.

Rampant? No. Annoying? Yes.

In watching my son's varsity games this year, I think I've seen three or four warnings given, and IMHO each was clearly warranted. I think 3 or 4 others could/should have been given, when players created delays as they were setting up a press. (And I have also heard silly parents yelling for warnings that were simply absurd. But that's a separate issue.)

The time it really matters, IMO, is in that end game scenario where it is a deliberate act in an attempt to force the refs to stop the clock. Existing rules aside, there are two philosophical approaches the game could take: (1) hey, they haven't been warned yet, so they are entitled to do that, or (2) we don't like that and don't want it to happen. My TO rule would address it simply, and would be under the second philosophy.

Why? Either assess a DOG, assess an unsporting T, or wait a few seconds before you do either if you want to "make a point." Either way the team will still retain the right to run the endline so yes, the clock may stop but its a technicality that is afforded the team. We don't have to try and plug every hole. Just officiated the damn game.

I actually wouldn't have a problem with that rules change. It would eliminate the possibility of abusing a loophole in the current rule. And since it doesn't happen that often, it shouldn't really bother anybody to adjudicate it the 3-4 times it may happen in one's season.