Just in case you were working NCAA rules, then you would have been correct. After enforcement even with 1 second left. Wind the clock and the half is over. Only if time runs out during the play will they get an untimed down.

The rule i am refering to was handed down to me by my state board. There was a play in a varsity game in my state. A was on their own 30YL with 30 seconds left. A passes and there is UC penalty on the play. Mind you, A is up huge. I believe the ref (i did not do the game) didn't give A the choice of accepting it and just marked off the penalty and subsequently the clock ran out before A was able to run a play (they weren't going to run a play anyway). I asked the ref about the play because i was under the impression that since the last down of the timed period resulted in an accepted penalty, that A was entitled to an untimed down. I brought it up at our state board meeting and the rules committee member said no. I am a new official and i thought i got it right, and then i got down on myself because i might have screwed that one up on the field, and no i may have gotten it right (maybe not in Connecticut though). But to all who wondered, that was my rational for posting my differing opinion.

The key word here is during the last timed down of the period. If a dead-ball fouls occurs, it will be enforced from the succeeding spot. UC fouls always treated like dead-ball fouls, and a UC foul cannot extend the period.

Peorids are not extended for unsportsmanlike or non-player fouls even if they occure during the down.
NF 3-3-3 . . . A period must be extended by an untimed down if during the last down of the period, one of the following occurs:
a. There was a foul, other than unsportsmanlike or non-player, by either team and the penalty is accepted.

Believe us Patsfan , the U got it right

Thats it! I was getting my NCAA and Federation rules confused. Sorry guys...

REPLY: Patsfan...if you're officiating under Federation rules, you've been terribly misled. The clock does <u>not</u> need to expire during the play for the period to be extended (see NF 3-3-3a). If, however, you work under NCAA rules, then you're correct: the clock must expire during the down in which the foul occurs for the period to be extended (see NCAA 3-2-3a). Just one of the 2,847 differences between the two codes. Ooops...make that 2846 -- I forgot about PSK!

OK, If we accept that the U is correct and we extend the period, what mechanic do we use in regards to the 13 seconds remaining? Do we start on the RPL and allow it to run out and ignore? I can see the B coach going ballistic when he sees 0:00 and A is still calling signals!Or do we start at the snap and perhaps give A a chance to run 2 plays? If not A coach goes crazy when after an incomplete pass and 0:02 on the clock we declare end of half?

Refburn what we do in Pennsylvania is this. Wind the clock on the ready for play and if the clock goes to 0:00 before the snap we will blow the whistle and stop it. The Referee will face the pressbox and announce an untimed down, he will then restart the 25 second time and give them their untimed down.

That's all you need to do. Not hard at all.

Just play normally. Only do something different if they are unable to run a play within your 13 seconds.

Please check the casebook on page 25, 3.3.3 situration e.
With the ball at B's 1-yard line and 12 seconds remaining in the game, A1 advances to the 1/2-yard line. After the ball is dead, B1 fouls. The clock is stopped with five seconds remaining in the game. The clock is restarted when the ball is declared ready for play. Before A can snoap the ball, time expires. Ruling: The game is ended. There is no extension of the period for an untimed down, unless there is acceptance of the penalty for a foul which occurred during the down. However, if the referee judges B1 committed the foul to consume time, he shall delay starting the clock until the snap.

In this casebook play, B1 commited a foul but it was not DURING the down. It was between downs. Game should have ended as specified.