Stopping the clock?
 

Can someone tell me or post the wording that determines when an official stops the clock for a play that has the ball carrier/receiver end up out of bounds?

For example, receiver catches the ball on the sideline , gets his feet down, DB immediately knocks him OOB. Clock did not stop.

Receiver catches the ball and runs OOB. Clock stops.

Is it as simple as who caused the OOB to occur? If the defense knocks the player OOB it keeps going. If the runner runs OOB on his own volition its stopped?

It's usually a question of whether his forward progress was stopped inbounds or not.

Oftentimes on these plays, the defender causes the ball carrier to go backwards a little as they go out of bounds. The forward progress of the ball carrier was stopped inbounds. Therefore, the clock continues to run.

If the defender pushes the ball carrier out of bounds, but he continues to move forward as he goes out of bounds, the clock will stop.

If you watch the NFL and most college officials they are a lot better and more experienced at accurately keeping the clock winding near the sideline when a player's forward progressis is stopped just before getting knocked OOB. Most HS officials in my experience stop the clock most every time a player goes out of bounds regardless, unless it is a very obvious stopping of forward progress first.

So, as Bullycon answered, If they go OOB prior to their forward progress being stopped then clock stops and then starts on the next snap. If their forward progress is stopped before they go OOB, then the clock should continue to run.

A little off topic but similar....Sometimes you will see an official on or near the sideline give the "wind the clock signal" and immediately give the "stop" the clock signal, in that order. He is not confused (hopefully).This occurs when the runner has gained first down yardage and remains inbounds near the sideline, and then he (official) stops the clock for the 1st down and the chains to move. This should tell anybody who cares or knows, especially the R, that once the chains are set the clock will start up again on the RFP.

Thanks

And you'll hear clock operators at the HS level say "please stop confusing us!" :rolleyes:

Perhaps, you need to more consistently educate your clock operators. Hopefully, they're part of your pregame discussion.

We've been taught at the college level to only give one signal. If it's a first down or you know there is a flag that will stop the clock, just give the stop clock signal. While the ball is dead you can communicate to the teams and coaches the clock will start on the ready. The clock operator will know what to do when the white hat marks it ready for play. Winding the clock on close in bounds plays isn't even a HS mechanic so technically you shouldn't ever do it. I know lots of crews that do though including mine.

It most certainly is, if you (i.e. your state, your chapter, your whatever) follows standard published NFHS mechanics.

We still do this in dii-iii level collegiate games and I've seen di officials do it as well, but not as often as the lower levels of the game.

Believe me, we do. You should see the wide variety of dolts we get for clock operators since we do a lot of traveling for games.