Timing question

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by Moshiner1345

2nd quarter :12 seconds remaining. 3rd and 4 from the B42 yard line.Team A snaps the ball and goes for a long run (past the first down markers) and is downed on the 2 yard line. The sequence of events are this: player downed, official's whistle is sounded, then mechanical horn goes off from scoreboard indicating the period is over. Bam, Bam, Bam. very sequential.... but very close to one another. As a crew we got together and came to a consensus that the whistle had sounded prior to the mechanical horn sounding. Do you put time on the clock? and if so how much?

According to Rule 3.5.7 The referee shall have the authority to correct obvious errors in timing if discovery is prior to the second live ball following the error, unless the period has officially ended as in 3.3.5

What do you do? and what explanation do you give to coach B

First, as the white hat I would have asked if anybody had a view of the clock and if the clock had time left when the player was downed, not necessarily when the whistle blew. If no one had a view the period would end.

If someone saw the clock and could positively provide the number of seconds remaining on the clock that would be placed on the clock.

My philosophy for putting time on the clock is we must determine that an error had occurred. Without positive confirmation the time stays as is. If there was an error how much time was lost or should be adjusted.

In this situation it sounds like there was a guess time should have not expired but no definitive proof. I would have ended the period.