timing issue...

[Bob M.]

Originally posted by rdfox [with Bob's comments]
The clock was properly stopped as an officials time out because of the action at the end of the play; specifically, the tackling of B who possessed the ball (a change in team possession). Then how do you jive this with NF 3-4-2a which says that the clock starts with the READY for an official's time-out, other than when Team B is awarded a new series (they weren't) or when either team is awarded a new series following a legal kick (also immaterial).

It is therefore, by rule 3-4-2 (b)3, this same action that does not allow the clock to start until the snap, regardless of whether a penalty was involved. NF 3-4-2b (3) deals only with those actions which both simultaneously cause the down to end and the clock to stop (e.g. incomplete pass, ball/runner OOB, runner crossing opponent's goal line, touchback.) The down in the original play ended when the runner was tackled inbounds. This in itself does NOT cause the clock to stop. The only reason the clock stopped was, as you said above, for an officials time out to deal with the change of possession. Ask yourself these two questions: (1.) What caused the down to end, and (2.) What caused the clock to stop?. If you get the exact same answer to both, then there's validity in applying 3-4-2b(3). If you don't get the exact same answer, that rule is immaterial.

The logic that says the clock should start on the ready would require you to conclude that the clock should not have been stopped in the first place. So you're saying that whenever you start the clock on the ready, you should not have stopped it in the first place?? How about when A reaches the line to gain. Should we not have stopped the clock in such cases? But the clock has to stop when the ball became dead, and therefore, it has to only start on the snap.