Stoping clock to set ball
 

On a play at the end of the fourth quarter as time was running out with the ball on the defense 5 yard the runner tries to dive into the end zone but is stopped under a pile of defenders within a foot of the goal line.
The officials signaled to stop the clock to determine forward progress and to clear the pile of players to set the ball. When the ball was set the official wound his arm to start the clock again.
Was it correct to stop the clock in this situation to determine the progress to the goal line as well as to set the ball?
thanks.

Not unless the end of the run was near the line to gain.

I'm guessing you are questioning this play because your team lost and you expect the officials on this site to tell you what happened was wrong.

Well, none of us were at the game and can hardly be expected to critique the work of others. Do you want me to come to your job, look at what you are doing, then go tell your boss you are not doing your job?

So, don't come here expecting that kind of treatment.

If anyone on the defense were causing an undue delay in clearing the pile and getting the ball marked ready for play then I would have a penalty for delay of game which would stop the clock and cause it to not start until the snap.

In a situation like the OP I would be vigilant in dead ball officiating to clear the pile and get the ball ready...and any action by team B which is different than what they've been doing all game, I would consider a flag.

What was the down and distance?


ART. 7 . . . An official’s time-out occurs during a dead ball without a time-out
being charged to either team:
a. For measurement of a possible first down.
b. When a first down is declared.
c. Following a change of team possession.
d. When captains and coaches are notified of the time remaining.
e. For a player who appears to be injured.
f. For a player in need of equipment repair.
g. To dry or change the game ball.
h. For unusual heat or humidity which may create a health risk to the players.
i. When a coach-referee conference concerning the misapplication of a rule
results in the referee altering his ruling. (See 3-5-11)
j. After a foul, to administer the penalty.
k. For any unusual delay in getting the ball marked ready for play.

Gee Ed, thanks for your help.
Actually our team won, I don't have any kids playing in the youth organization anymore, but I'm still helping out on the board.
I was just wondering what was the correct call and thought I would ask someone who knows a lot more than I.
It was first and goal from about the 4 yard line, about 12 seconds left in 4th quarter, running back ran up the middle, his arm and the ball crossed the goal line, then he was burried under a pile of players. The 4 referees were untangling the pile of players and discussing if his knee was down before the ball crossed the goal line, that is when they signaled to stop the clock, they decided he was down before the ball crossed the goal line, spotted the ball about a foot outside the line and wound the clock to start. QB sneaked and scored with 1 second left on the clock, extra point was good for a 1 point victory.
There was a lot of debate if the clock should have been stopped, if it had not been there would not have been time for the last play.

Sounds like inexperienced officials to me. Discussing whether the ball was across? If I'm a wing and I see the ball cross, I signal TD. What's to discuss?

The problem with commenting on someone's "experience" is that it holds yours up for comparison.

Case Book play 3.4.6.C contains the following comment, " Comment: In some situations there is a delay in unpiling and no individual player or team is to blame. In such situations the Referee is authorized to stop the clock momentarily so no more clock time than normal is used in getting the ball ready for play. (3-4-3h).

It is entirely within the Referee's judgment when to invoke this procedure based soley on what he observes.

Thanks for the information.
So it sounds like the referees likely were within the correct parameters of the rule to briefly stop the clock to discuss what they saw regarding the relationship of the runners knee contacting the ground and the ball crossing the line as well as to allow the players to unpile and set the ball and re-start the clock.

get the call right
 

The question is whether they got the call right. If it took them a few extra seconds of "what did you see?" then by all means stop the clock and get it right.

The only fault would be is if one of the officials was dead certain of the call and they stopped it to talk about it. What is unclear to me is did the officials stop it to clear the pile or to talk about the result of the play.

There are certain advantages and disadvantages to all things that happen in the game of football. Unfortunately for the defense this situation gave the offense the advantage of giving them time to get set for another play. If the officials would have let the clock run they wouldn't have been in the wrong either. And the advantage for the defense is that the clock would have run out.

It's funny, it was probably a double edged sword. I was standing on the sideline right at the goal line talking with one of the HS coaches who was there to watch the game, I think the initial reaction was that he had scored as the ball did cross the line when he landed, but when the referees got together the decision was that his knee was down prior to the ball crossing the line.
Without the stopping of the clock and taking the time to discuss multiple views of the play the call might have been TD on the first play, so the defense got a reprieve, but in doing so it gave the offense an additional chance which they then capitalized upon.