Untimed Down

[BulldogMcC]

Originally posted by Gman34
Need help with a Fed rules interpretation? ( Ending a period…3.3.3 – 3.3.4 ) My crew has been hashing and rehashing the situation where you have a penalty with just a few seconds left in a quarter. Here is a play:

A has ball 2nd & 12 at B’s 30 as the clock is running at :12 seconds left in the half. B encroaches with :03 seconds left. We mark off five to B’s 25 and now have 2nd and 7 with :03 seconds in the half. At any other time during the game we wind the clock at the ready. Now if A isn’t ready to snap it, time is going to run out. Does an untimed down apply here? Does the burden rest on A to get the snap off?

No untimed down by rule.
The R may hold winding until the snap if in his opinion the foul was down to illegally consume time.
If the R winds on the ready, A has 3 seconds to get a play off.

Rule 3-3-3a requires that there be a foul during the down (kick or snap to dead ball 2-7-1)

All dead ball fouls therefore do not create a situation where a period will be extended. The R does have the power to delay winding until the snap if he believe's B was intentionally trying to consume time and I have used this on more than one occasion under the circumstances you listed. However, when A false starts with 3 seconds to go, nothing is going to allow you to wait until the snap to wind.