NFHS Overtime TOs
 

At our rules session the other night, there was a discussion as to how TOs are accumulated during OT periods.

One philosophy was that a team that has remaining TOs from the 2nd half may use them in any OT period, plus the one TO per OT period.

Others said that the use of the word "additional" in OT 3-5-1 on page 84 indicated that teams can accumulate their OT TOs as well in that if a team has 2 2nd half TOs remaining and they don't use their 'extra' TO issued to them in the 1st OT period, then they would have a total of 4 TOs starting the 2nd OT period.

The first group said that they forfeit the one OT TO from the 1st period if not used during that period, but couldn't find a rule to cite.

Any ideas?

thanks

Do what you state says to do..

There is no NFHS Overtime rule. The stuff written in the book is nothing more that a suggestion of how to run an overtime. This topic comes up every year, and rightfully so because of the simple fact that there is no formal rule. I can tell you what we do here for timeouts, but that will not help you out your way.

Your state should be providing written guidelines for your chapter meetings. Find out what those are.

REPLY: If we assume that you're using the NFHS recommended procedure on PP. 83-86 of the rule book, my understanding is that all TOs from either the second half or from prior OT periods do carry over. The Federation wording on this isn't the greatest, but from everything I've read and heard, that's the intention. Here in NJ, we don't use the Fed procedure, so I can't be 100% sure how it's used. Also...remember that each state is free to use the Fed procedure as is, use it with modification, use a different procedure, or use none whatsoever. I would recommend that you contact your state office and ask them for the definitive answer.

thanks guys....

I already sent the email--we'll see what they come back with

This was discussed in another site. If your state uses the NFHS overtime procedures, the second half time outs and the over-time time outs do accumulate. See the NFHS Handbook for verification. It was also in the NFHS Bulletin that was distributed at our (MO) State Rules Meeting last year. The wording in much clearer in the hand book and clearly points out that the time-outs accumulate so if a team used no time-outs, by the second overtime they would have five time-outs available.

Jim,

Where can I find a copy of the NFHS handbook? Do you have the link or do you have to be a member of the NFHS?

thanks

The NFHS Football handbook says they "may" be used in the OT periods. Your State makes the determination if the "are" to be used.
That's the facts.

Two states that I know of, North Carolina and Florida, do not allow OT timeouts to accumulate.

Go to www.nfhs.com

Add Georgia to that list.

REPLY: In NJ, we use the NCAA OT procedure. So TOs don't accumulate here either.