Mandatory warm-up period

[mbyron]

Ohio has emphasized the importance of running the warm up period correctly. Don't start it until both teams are back, can't be canceled by coaches, etc. Liability concerns seem to be driving this attitude.

[Canned Heat]

We're in SE WI and I ask the coach where he's going at halftime and if he'll have somebody on that clock to make sure the maority of the team is at or near the field when the 15 minutes lapse. We have yet to have to penalize anyone, but we've had a few close ones. We do it the same way as the other guy mentioned (ajmc). If they're out there and ready to start the warm-up, we'll wipe-off the remainder of halftime and start the 3 minute countdown.

[jemiller]

WE do a lot of small schools, and most times the teams stay on the field but in the EZ. The rule states 15 and then a mandatory 3 min warm up. If both teams are on the field in 12 minutes and I meet with the coaches and captains and they are ready to go, we have not done the 3 minute additional warm up period. I personally make sure that they have had the benefit of at least 3 minutes.

Again in tough weather conditions etc. we may shorten the half time period with agreement of both benches. Regardless, they get 3 minutes someway. I tell coaches that if they are ready to go earlier, and the opposing coach wants his entire 15 minutes, plus his 3 minute warm up he will get it. Most just want to get on with the game.

Every week the time keepers tell us that the previous weeks crew did something different in this regard. Every game we start out with the notion that they get the full 15 and 3 time frames. As mentioned above we do bend a bit when conditions and tempers warrant. Jim

[VALJ]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Ohio has emphasized the importance of running the warm up period correctly. Don't start it until both teams are back, can't be canceled by coaches, etc. Liability concerns seem to be driving this attitude.

That's what we've been told in VA as well. If both teams are back before the clock runs out on halftime, then halftime can be shortened, but in that case we then set the clock to 3 minutes and run that. Halftime can be shortened, but the warmup can not be eliminated.

To (kind of) get backto a previous question I didn't see answered:

Originally Posted by rockyroad

Related question: Can the "mandatory" 3 min. warm-up time be dropped "by the Home coaches"?? In our game Friday night, we got to the field with about 1 min. left on the intermission clock. The crew grabbed captains, and I told the rest of the guys to start the warm-up routine. One of the officials told us we didn't have the three min. because the home coach said his team was ready to go and didn't need it.

Halftime can be shortened by mutual agreement of both coaches, not by one side arbitrarily.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by VALJ

Halftime can be shortened by mutual agreement of both coaches, not by one side arbitrarily.

But the 3 min. warm-up can not be shortened - or as in the game I cited - done away with entirely...even if both coaches "agree". Correct?

[VALJ]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

But the 3 min. warm-up can not be shortened - or as in the game I cited - done away with entirely...even if both coaches "agree". Correct?

They way the Virginia interpreter explained it to us, correct. You can shorten halftime (to a minimum of 10 minutes), but the 3 minutes must be run off in its entirety.