ABC Announcers in Colo. vs. Neb.

[buckrog64]

Well, the refs are getting dragged through the coals by the ABC announcers who must know all the rules.

If you didn't see it, Nebraska has a long pass play, downed in bounds and the clock is stopped with two seconds left in the half. The ball is blown RFP and by the time the ball is intentionally grounded, the clock has run out and the refs rule the first half is concluded. The announcers are talking about how Nebraska got hosed out of three possible points.

Hmmm, I thought that once the RFP (the clock would then start) the offense would have to be set for one second, and then time for the play to take place. Seems like two seconds could easily run off with all that had to happen.

Maybe the clock offers tenths of seconds at the stadium, but the network didn't show it.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[grantsrc]

I'm watching it too. I swap emails with the WH periodically and saw that. i will have to get his take on the announcers comments. It's funny how it always comes down to the officials, huh?

[schwinn]

Originally posted by buckrog64
Well, the refs are getting dragged through the coals by the ABC announcers who must know all the rules.

If you didn't see it, Nebraska has a long pass play, downed in bounds and the clock is stopped with two seconds left in the half. The ball is blown RFP and by the time the ball is intentionally grounded, the clock has run out and the refs rule the first half is concluded. The announcers are talking about how Nebraska got hosed out of three possible points.

Hmmm, I thought that once the RFP (the clock would then start) the offense would have to be set for one second, and then time for the play to take place. Seems like two seconds could easily run off with all that had to happen.

Maybe the clock offers tenths of seconds at the stadium, but the network didn't show it.

Maybe I'm missing something.

The receiver hit the ground with 4 seconds left. The refs blew it big time.

[Texas Aggie]

I don't know if they blew it, but it is reasonable to think there should still have been 2 seconds left on the clock. The snap was immediately after the RFP.

[MJT]

Originally posted by buckrog64
Well, the refs are getting dragged through the coals by the ABC announcers who must know all the rules.

If you didn't see it, Nebraska has a long pass play, downed in bounds and the clock is stopped with two seconds left in the half. The ball is blown RFP and by the time the ball is intentionally grounded, the clock has run out and the refs rule the first half is concluded. The announcers are talking about how Nebraska got hosed out of three possible points.

Hmmm, I thought that once the RFP (the clock would then start) the offense would have to be set for one second, and then time for the play to take place. Seems like two seconds could easily run off with all that had to happen.

Maybe the clock offers tenths of seconds at the stadium, but the network didn't show it.

Maybe I'm missing something.

The offense does not have to be set for one second after the RFP, just set for one second before the snap. They could all be ready before the RFP and snap it just after the RFP. There is some alloted time for the clock to get stopped, so 2 seconds could go off.

[buckrog64]

So if I understand it, as long as the O is set for a second, the snap could go right on the whistle for the RFP. No waiting a second for the offense, after the ball is blown RFP. NFHS rules state after a huddle or shift, all players must be set for a second. It doesn't say after RFP though. I know there are rule differences between the levels of course, but I think MJT has a point about when they have to be set.

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Watching it a second time it does clearly seem like Nebraska played it perfectly to have enough time to run another play (FG attempt).

The long pass play ended with 4 seconds left yet the clock went down to 2. Even if you let that be, the spike play went right on the RFP, taking one additional second off- certainly not 2.

[Zebra29]

*note* : I did not see this play happen, I am merely stating a generality.


The clock does not stop when the receiver hits the ground. The clock stops after the officials have signaled for the clock to stop. They cannot do that until they are certain that the play has resulted in a first down.

In a long pass play, I'm sure it was obvious that a first down had been gained, but that still does not allow for the clock operator to stop the clock before a signal has been given, and a slight delay is simply a human factor. If officials signalled the SECOND something happens every time, how many inadvertant whistles and signals would we see?

Again, I have not seen this game, but I could almost guarantee you that this crew stopped and started the clock on a consistent basis throughout. You don't change the way you do things just because one team is trying to hurry things up.

I can easily see (without seeing) a receiver going down with :04, the clock being stopped at :02, and the clock expiring on a spiked ball. Especially because the same thing could happen with 7:04 and 7:02 and not a single word would be said.

[mikesears]

Anyone who reads much of what I post will hopefully know that I try very hard to support the game officials. If I was rooting for one team, it was Colorado.

First, I will say that overall, I thought the game was well officiated.

In the play in question, it sure seemed like a home town clock operator was controlling the clock. Pass was caught and the receiver was down at 4 seconds. ECO let clock run down to 2 seconds. (I couldn't see the covering officials, but certainly they were trying to kill the clock). Officials had a difficult time getting the ball placed after the down.

Neb. runs to the line gets set, RFP is blown, Neb. spikes the ball with one second left (no doubt in my mind) --whistles are clearly blowing. ECO lets game clock expire. Crew conferences for a moment and R holds ball over head.

Originally posted by Zebra29
*note* : I did not see this play happen, I am merely stating a generality.


The clock does not stop when the receiver hits the ground. The clock stops after the officials have signaled for the clock to stop. They cannot do that until they are certain that the play has resulted in a first down.

In a long pass play, I'm sure it was obvious that a first down had been gained, but that still does not allow for the clock operator to stop the clock before a signal has been given, and a slight delay is simply a human factor. If officials signalled the SECOND something happens every time, how many inadvertant whistles and signals would we see?

Again, I have not seen this game, but I could almost guarantee you that this crew stopped and started the clock on a consistent basis throughout. You don't change the way you do things just because one team is trying to hurry things up.

I can easily see (without seeing) a receiver going down with :04, the clock being stopped at :02, and the clock expiring on a spiked ball. Especially because the same thing could happen with 7:04 and 7:02 and not a single word would be said.

of course people watch the clock much closer the less time it has on it...

[Sonofanump]

I was watching the game and wondering why the announcers were not realizing that they were playing in Boulder and the clock operator was very liberal with his finger. The play was completed with about 4 seconds left on the clock downfield. I do not know which side of the field it was on, but the game clock is the SJ responsibility. If any errors could be corrected it would be his responsibility. If the play was on his side, by the time he looked at the game clock, it might have already been stopped at 2 seconds. Nebraska grounded the ball almost immediately, the SJ could have corrected that error of 2 seconds going off.

Remember announcers do not know the rules very well (i.e. Joe Thiesman).

[Badger05]

The announcers did state multiple times that it was the result of a home clock operator. Their disgust was clearly not directed at the officials, but the clock operator. I am not really sure how the clock operator got by with this mistake considering that the big 12 went to conference clock operators with observers last year. The clock operator may be from colorado but he is assigned to that game by the 12. Some of them are retired officials and the like.