Mandatory warm-up period
 

Wisconsin is saying that the mandatory 3-minute warm-up period must be held. If a team is late getting back, you penalize them, and re-set the clock to 3:00. This is in conflict with the rule that now says the 3:00 starts immediately after intermission. Please - no opinions. Does anyone have casebook, NFHS interpretations, etc. that address this point?

I don't have my casebook with me, but I'm pretty sure the "three minute warmup starting immediately after the 15 minute halftime ends" is in there somewhere.

The Minnesota interpretation is that it's the coach's responsibility to get his team back on the field with sufficient warm-up time... and if he does not do so, the liability rests with him rather then with the officiating crew. The coach will be penalized for not having his team back on the field, but the clock will not be reset to 3:00.

Iowa and Nebraska have the same ruling as Minnesota, coach must have the team back on the field before the half ends and the warm-up period starts. No resetting of the clock.

Kansas - clock does NOT reset.

Coach is responsible for team to be on the field prior to warm-up period. "On the field" has been determined to be inside the track or where the track would be.

9-8-1-g states:

No coach, substitute, athletic trainer or other team attendant shall
act in an unsportsmanlike manner once the officials assume authority for the contest.
Examples are, but not limited to:
The failure of a team to:
1. Be ready to start the first half; and
2. Be on the field following the conclusion of the halftime intermission; or
3. Be ready to start the second half at the conclusion of the mandatory
warm-up period.

Points 1, 2 & 3 are all new this year. In Table 3-1 (TABLE OF GAME CLOCK TIMES) it is stated:

Mandatory Warm-up Period Following Intermission: 3 minutes
(The game officials are responsible for ensuring that there is a
three-minute warm-up period posted on the clock and the clock
immediately started for use by the coaches immediately after the
halftime intermission expires. The head coach is responsible for his
team being on the field for mandatory warm-up time at the end
of the scheduled halftime intermission.)

Hope that helps.

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. Since we were up big and it was going to be running clock the whole half, we didn't fuss - but it worried me.

My understanding is that the 3 minute warm up MUST be given to the teams. It's their choice what they want to do with it, warm up their players, or not. What we are doing; is put 15 minutes on the clock (or 20 if asked to) and run it down.

If both teams are back on the field before the clock runs down, we stop it, reset it at 3:00 and run that down.

If either team is late getting back to the field, after the intermission time runs out, we reset the clock for 3:00, and hold it there until both teams are back on the field before starting it.

As for the penalty, it depends on the situation. Where the team had to go, where they are in relation to returning, as well as the instructions, or request, of the opposing coach all factor in to that decision.

What state are you in that allows that? We were told, the teams MUST be on the field prior to winding the clock for the warm-up regardless of where they were at halftime.

I'm in NYS, but what is it you have a problem with? I said, "If either team is late getting back to the field, after the intermission time runs out, we reset the clock for 3:00, and hold it there until both teams are back on the field before starting it."

No problem with it, just interesting the interpretation. We were told not to hold it for either team. That's why I was asking which state, to make sure we were ucking fit up on the interp.

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.

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.

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

Al,

I'm in NY, albeit LI, and I never heard that interpretation. It's at the end of 15 start the 3 minute immediately.

Here is the phrasing from the NFHS/Referee magazine Power Point presentation given at the NC state clinic: