Waiting for the clock to start

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by Rick Durkee
Ultimately, my question is more general. If the clock does not properly start (especially at the beginning of a period or when there is a lot of time left in a period), how long should one wait before blowing the whistle to get the timer's attention? Immediately? Three seconds? Five seconds? Can I get pro-rated pay for the extra time that I had to work?

As soon as there's a reasonable opportunity -- generally when one team has the ball and there's no significant pressure from the other team.