My game this week...
 

Team A is leading 28-12. Team A's coach has been a total jerk for the entire game. His team has had numerous deadball PFs during the game. All that being said, his team was indeed the superior team in this game, and the score showed it.

So, back to the game. Team A leads 28-12. They get the ball back late in the 4th, like 40 seconds left. They run a play and get it down to the 10 yardline of B. Then they call a timeout with 15 seconds left. And they still have one TO remaining. They still have all the starters in the game. They run their play. Its a TD on an off tackle run. We have 2 flags at the point of attack, holding on #50. We mark off the penalty, and there is 9 seconds left. There is lots of smack being talked. Team B surely doesn't like the fact that this team is trying to run up the score. Players are mouthing at each other. At this point, I just had a bad feeling about the way this game was ending. I marked the ball ready for play AND wound the clock. And then turned my back so I wouldn't be able to see team A trying to call a TO. As it turns out, the rest of the crew followed suit. Clock runs out, game over, I hold up the ball. I know the clock should have started on the snap. I also know we had a foul on the last timed down, therefore an untimed down. But still, I just felt like this game needed to end. Anyway, coach of Team A was mad as heck. Had a few things to say as I walked off the field.

Any thoughts? Anyone ever had anything like this? How did you handle it?

Thanks

I know this is not how we are supposed to do it "by rule," but given the situation I think you did the best game management possible. If they would have run another play I hope you would have found another penalty somewhere!

This was completely irresponsible and unprofessional. For you to have done this could seriously dislodge some team in play-off standings. It may not be the case for where you are, but there are some places that, in the event of tied win/losses in a season, they decide play-off standings by number of points scored.

So, by you choosing to decide for the players and coaches what should happen in the game, you've potentially cost them a play-off spot.

That is the problem with states that decide playoff tie-breakers on the number of points scored, it just breeds piling up the score. That is why the BCS took that formula out of there ranking process a couple of years ago. When does sportsmanship enter into high school sports these days?

He probably also preserved the right of some A players to play the next week.
Given the circumstances and mood of the game a fight was a strong possibility and ejections a sure result. This could have a greater impact on their playoff hopes than 6-7 points.

You aren't going to hear anything but "BRAVO" from me. What has happened to sportsmanship? At least where I live, they'd be taking a knee at this point.

I'm sure he'll cry himself to sleep.

I think it was a mature, responsible decision myself. Any coach with a shred of sportsmanship would take a knee and not be thinking of "tiebreakers" in week 2.

In Missouri, the score differential maxes out at 14 points. It is important to know for any game if that could be a consideration. All things being equal, I think the treatment was smart officiating.

There are some things that are more important.

If Dr. Moore can sleep at night, kudos to him.

Where I'm from, points scored are of no consequence in playoff qualifying. However, with that being said, I would have still done the same thing.

I tell ya, rules are rules. But then again, sometimes things are not always as they seem. For instance, I had a game 2 yrs ago that was won by a score of 72-0. In the 2nd half, I was winding no matter what. Out of bounds, we wound it. Incomplete pass, we wound it. The winning team was putting in 2nd, 3rd, and probably 4th string players and STILL scoring at will. They probably could have put the cheerleaders in and scored some points. The point I'm making is that sometimes you have to try to speed the completion of a game along. And in this case we didn't have a 72 point lead. But the game was well in hand. And it REALLY needed to end.

And I'm actually sleeping pretty well. But I did wonder what the comments would be from you guys. And I appreciate them good or bad.

Thanks again,
Dr.Moore

Good job! I would (and have) done the same exact thing.

For what it's worth, i'm torn on this one. My head says it was the wrong thing to do, my heart says there's no question it's the right thing.
We've all had plenty of games like this, and we've all wound the clock when we shouldn't have by rule to speed up the game. However, rules are rules and even though I'll be the first to admit that I've done it in the past, now it makes me feel uneasy when officials in my association disregard basic rules where judgement is not involved. Even though philosphically we all agree that it's the right thing to do, I would almost rather that we as officials do not do anything that compromises our integrity and impartiality. If we can state that we followed the rules when something negative occurred, we're not liable (unless you have a different directive from your state association on how to handle these game situations). Unfortunately, liability is also a factor these days and right or wrong, officials shouldn't put themselves in a position to be held accountable even if common sense dictates that it was the correct action at the time.
If Team A wants to run up the score, that's their right. Is it poor sportsmanship? No question about it, but that's for the state association and the coaches and ADs to handle, not us.
Did we keep a few kids from sitting out next week? Most likely, but then if you or your crew does toss a player on the last one or two plays of a game and they have to sit out the next week (as in our state), then so be it. Lesson (hopefully) learned for that player as well as the rest of the team and coaching staff.
Our state is finally considering a running clock and point differential system for next year, and in my opinion it is long overdue. But our state rules interpreter said at our last meeting that until that happens, we must approach both coaches and get permission to shorten the game, i.e. "wind it". It's not up to us to bend the "black and white" rules like timing and untimed downs after fouls.

again, that being said, I'm certainly not going to criticize. I'm merely adding an another point of view so that we all can hopefully make the best decision when we're in the situation.

Sounds like good game management in my book. Let me relate an experience of mine...

My second year I had a clock assignment for a playoff game. Home team dominated most of the game, and things got a bit chippy in the fourth quarter.

Visitors scored with something like 8-10 seconds left, but it doesn't matter at that point - they're still down by something like 20. So we have a kickoff, a decent return that ends OOB, and I stop the clock... and then look up to see :01 showing. Then I start berating myself for being an idiot. Sure enough, home team lines up to take a knee, visiting player comes flying over the line to take a cheap shot, fight ensues.

Now, I know the fight isn't my fault, but I bear some responsibility for it since I likely could have prevented it by looking at the clock before stopping it. (Of course, no one had ever suggested this situation to me before - a flaw in our training I requested be fixed, and it didn't occur to me until right after I'd stopped it.)

Is running the clock a few seconds in situations like this the technically correct thing to do? No. Is it the right and smart thing to do? No question in my mind.

Yes but in Missouri nothing counts untill your last 3 games ( districts) Weeks 1-6 have no baring on who enters the playoffs, thus being week 2, no Missouri coach shoul be thinking of points, a win is more then enough for them.

It was the right thing to do.

A coach told me a story recently - he's getting his butt handed to him 40+ to zip to a much superior team. (We have a running clock after 35 points) He's been having problems with the official (a subpar replacement) on his sideline and decides to argue a pretty bad call. He's on the field talking with the white hat and the clock is still running. In his headphones, he hears his coaches telling him to stay out there because the clock is still running! The white hat says "Larry, the clock is still running. You want me to stop it?"

Well, they don't stop it - stand out there for two minutes just talking - the white hat moves the line judge to back judge - the game goes on and ends peacefully.

Game management.