Because it is easily correctable after a subsequent play. The game clock isn't.

I've done plenty of games where the down was incorrect for a play here or play there up top when the clock / SB operator spilled is 7-up or dropped his hot dog up in the booth or is trying to do double duty with stats or ?? and we don't shut everything down for that either. How many times have you seen 2nd and 10 on the board and its really 2nd and 4? Do you kill it for that correction too? Not a chance.

We're talking about what is typically a one or two time occurrence, at most, in a game. Typically a lower level game, to boot. And you can almost guarantee whatever team is on offense is going to go bonkers when you're shutting everything down to fix a down marker after you just announced and visualized it at mid-field for both teams, when that staff thinks they may have the defense tired out and on their heels. Just my 2 cents, but why borrow trouble here?

Agree with this

Is it really necessary to reset the play clock? You can't just hold it? I could understand resetting if players said they were confused about the down, but not otherwise. Actually I can't see stopping play at all unless they're confused, but stopping & resetting would be worse than merely stopping.

Yes. Anytime the officials shut things down to deal with something, it is a timeout.

If I stop it, it's reset to 25 seconds. There's no provision that allows me to resume it. It's one big reason I'm loathe to stop it, ESPECIALLY if the game clock is running.

http://ohsaafb.com/files/2015/08/201...ifications.pdf



Page 38, *5.1.1 SITUATION A:
What procedure is used to correct an
error if it is discovered: (a) a fifth
down has been run; or (b) A has not
been given its allotted four downs?
RULING: In both cases, the number
of the next down can be corrected by
the referee until prior to the ball
becoming live after a new series of
downs is awarded. In (a), play will
revert to where it was before the fifth
down was run if it was determined
before prior to the ball becoming live
after a new series of downs was
awarded. In (b), the referee can
declare the proper next down provided
prior to the ball becoming live after
a new series of downs has not been
awarded. …

So it couldn't even be done informally, like, "Oops, hold it a sec, flip the down box...OK, carry on."? You know, like the way some other things are administered where the rule book might say one thing but...?

I could understand if team A's captain said, "Oh, it's that down. Sir, we need another huddle." And then you reset. Or if they'd started their man in motion, or similar cause of your messing up their timing. But if they don't, who would even notice the play clock?

Imminent.