Huh?

If the contract expires at midnight and they want to extend negotiations, they pretend it hasn't expired yet and say they've stopped the clock in the negotiating room.

It would seem that stopping at :01 would satisfy the desideratum of not making it appear the period has ended while also not creating an artifact of providing extra time for more plays to be run.

Robert

Huh?

True. Those desiderata, however, are not those of football rules as written.

Not likely
 

I suppose you could propose this fantasy evolution of yours as a rule change, but be sure and include shouting "Play on"
because, even the Rules Committee enjoys a bit of humor. :rolleyes:

I don't see why my common sense procedures are funny, while you can imagine keeping a straight face while whistling the teams off the ball at 0:00 to inform them there will be an untimed down -- which you'd already told them seconds earlier. It's like you want to penalize brain damaged players while benefiting the clueless.

As to stopping the clock at 0:01 -- which is really only another remedy for the clueless that's less disruptive and potentially game-changing than the ridiculous stop-and-start mechanic above -- yes, it's legal. The visible clock will show official time up to that point, and then become unofficial, decorative only. It's a measure to prevent one of those (unofficial) horns from going off and confusing your poor players.

Robert

The dreaded horn
 

Oh yes the horn.
It would be virtually impossible for the horn to go off during the untimed down perscribed in the Rules Book (and supported by ALL-but-one person on this thread) as the clock would read 0:00 when the ball is snapped and the horn would have already sounded while the ball was dead rior to the snap, again, as per the Rules Book.
However, using the "Modified Robert Goodman 0:01 plan", the horn would sound 1 second after the ball is snapped.

Huh? Given the options, I'll go with the rules as written as they seem to make more sense.

I understand Robert's point of view. I have had untimed downs that have confused players, coaches, fans, and clock operators. I still don't think this confusion warrants a modification to the rule. Inconsistant application of the rules will create more confusion in the long run.

Because if they're ready to snap the ball and (as stated by some participants in this thread) the clock's hitting 0 and/or a horn going off tends to confuse some players, then why should they be subjected to the horn's going off at that time? And if it goes off 1 sec. after the ball's put in play, what harm is done? Mind you, I think the whole notion of catering to such poor att'n to be extreme, and that explaining things beforehand to the captains should be enough, so I introduced the "labor negotiation" solution of "0:01" only as a harmless compromise.

And are you kidding me, or is this procedure of preventing play at 0:00 and signaling RFP again actually in the rule book, and does anything I wrote contradict anything in the rule book?

Robert

Stopping the play to mention that there is one more play is among the stupidest things I've ever heard of.

Ask and ye shall recieve
 

The NFHS Rule is: 3-3-3
The NFHS Case Play is: 3.3.3 SITUATION B

Not found in any NFHS publications!!!

Not found in any NFHS publications!!!

God save the Queen!
 

You are certainly entitled to you opinion, eh!

But, have you ever worked a game of football where the offense gets 4 downs to make a the line-to-gain, does not have a centre line, is not played with a full stripe ball, does not allow a team to score a "Single" (Rouge), does not have a foul call "Objectionable Conduct", does not have 25 yard endzones, and one half of le-rules book is not in printed in French?

Good day, eh! :cool:

The clock reads 0:00 all through overtime and nobody cares.

I just read through this thread today. I have had this happen. I wind, stop play at 0:00, announce an untimed down, and give the RFP. Not once was this seen as anything other than NOT a big deal.