25/40 Play clock

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Not really a big deal, either way, but....The Referee, blowing his whistle to announce the RFP (so that everyone, even those not specifically looking at him, understood the RFP was declared) worked pretty well for 100, or so, years.

Why such a big deal about changing that?

Because it resulted in too much variation in the time from dead ball to delay of game play to play and game to game. This was especially critical at the end of a half when a team is trying to burn as much time as possible and the crew is either placing the ball too quickly and thus not allowing the offense to burn as much time as they want or taking too much time and allowing the offense to burn more time than they should. The other impact is the offense that likes to take their time calling their play, getting to the line, using motion and shifts and snap toward the end of the play clock. If they are commonly getting 40-45 seconds to do this and then suddenly they only get 35 because the ball was placed quickly they have to rush or end up calling a time out or incurring a delay of game.

Other than that the 25-second play clock is OK, but the 40-second play clock allows for a much smoother and consistent flow and takes away one thing the referee has to worry about on many dead balls. The reported results from the trial states was almost unanimous that the officials and coaches much preferred it. That's a pretty solid endorsement.

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

Other than that the 25-second play clock is OK, but the 40-second play clock allows for a much smoother and consistent flow and takes away one thing the referee has to worry about on many dead balls. The reported results from the trial states was almost unanimous that the officials and coaches much preferred it. That's a pretty solid endorsement.

Sorry, my question apparently wasn't clear. I was simply wondering why, when the actual 25 second RFP is declared, it's recommended to be done silently. For generations, the notice included both a wind, and a whistle (to announce to EVERYONE) that it happened.

Just wondering, what is the reason/purpose/benefit, if any, of changing it to "silent".

[jTheUmp]

2 weeks in here.

Week 1 we had a visible play clock. Only had one issue where the PCO didn't start the 40-second clock correctly, which was corrected by having the PCO reset it to 25 after an officials timeout (which, according to the B, happened almost exactly when the 25-second notification happened on his ReadyRef).

I think there were a couple of times where we had to re-set to 25 after long incompletions (getting a new ball from the ball person? LOL), but it wasn't an issue really since the game clock is stopped in those situations anyway.

Week 2 we didn't have a visible play clock, so the B kept it on his ReadyRef. Again, there were 3 or 4 times where we had to reset to 25 after a long incompletion, but we just took care of that ourselves without the players/coaches noticing (the B would get on the O2O and let us know, but that was it).

I don't remember any DOG fouls in either game.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Sorry, my question apparently wasn't clear. I was simply wondering why, when the actual 25 second RFP is declared, it's recommended to be done silently. For generations, the notice included both a wind, and a whistle (to announce to EVERYONE) that it happened.

Just wondering, what is the reason/purpose/benefit, if any, of changing it to "silent".

If the play clock is set to 25 after a change of possession/adminisitrative stop, etc. then you do blow your whistle with the RFP. The only time you don't is when you are winding the game clock after a first down in bounds. That is not necessarily when the ball is ready for play but I do actually like a quick toot when it happens. For now the NFHS mechanic says no. The NCAA mechanic went back and forth on that one and I think now it's up to each referee. In NCAA they are winding the game clock pretty quickly after the first down/runner out of bounds so the players are usually huddling or returning to their side of the ball (target is 34-35 seconds on the play clock).

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

Because it resulted in too much variation in the time from dead ball to delay of game play to play and game to game.

The blowing of the whistle to announce RFP did that?? One of you is answering about timing while the other is asking about signaling.