Translation issues

[With_Two_Flakes]

Now, why is it that you don't consider the two minutes warning when the clock hits 2:00?

There is a difference between,
1) giving the "two minute warning" if there are no stadium clocks
2) when to start the clock when a runner goes out of bounds

What you have to remember is that pretty much every stadium in the USA (even a real small school) has a visible game clock, so "two minute warnings" almost never happen in the USA. It is likely that when the Rules Committee wrote that AR they were thinking 100% about the runner out of bounds and would not be thinking about "two minute warnings".

AR 3-2-5-V is all about the starting of the clock on a ball carrier / fumble / backward pass going out of bounds.

The rule (3-2-5-a-12 Exception) says start the clock on the snap within the last two minutes. By "within", they mean "less than" two minutes.

Therefore a time of 2:00 is not within (less than) the two minutes, but 1:59 is.




The time at which you would give the two minute warning is a different issue (see Rule 3-3-8-b). If there are no visible clocks (and I assume Brazil is in the same situation as Great Britain) then you will need to give a two minute warning. The purpose of this is to ensure the teams know how long is left since many teams will change their style of play when time is a factor (ie go into their two minute drill). Myself, I also remind them how many timeouts they have.

Now for the particular example they give in the AR you are talking about, then it might be that the two minute warning has not been given yet. So whether there is 2:00 or 1:59 left, you would give the "two minute warning" and 3-3-8-b-2 would over-rule 3-2-5-a-12 and you would start on the snap for both 2:00 or 1:59.

But it might be that the previous play (eg an incomplete pass) stopped the clock at 2:04 and you decided that was close enough to two minutes that you would give the "two minute warning".

Hope this makes sense, Daniel. But feel free to E-mail me if you want to discuss it further.

Regards,
Steve