Winding and stopping clock

[ajmc]

This seems like another, "much ado about nothing" special attention. Wing officials giving a wind signal on plays close to the sideline is one of a clock operators best friends. It answers an otherwise open question.

I can't see where eliminating this practice makes the tiniest bit of sense or serves any useful purpose. One of the other "Timer's best friend" signals is the often criticized practice of giving a stop the clock signal after giving the incomplete pass signal. Yes, I understand that the incomplete pass signal, in and by itself denotes the clock should be stopped, but it only works when the clock operator can see the signal.

Giving an incomplete pass signal in front of the team area on the clock side of the field is, a lot more often than not, unseen by the clock operator, and following up with a fully extended Stop the clock signal is the ONLY signal the clock operator will actually see. Of course that brings up yet another "Timer's best friend" signal, which is the TO signal given by the opposite wing man (Umpire or Referee) who follows up the incomplete pass signal.

Thr single most important purpose of any officials signal is to convey a message to an intended party. #1 priority of clock related signals is communicating with the clock operator, anything and everything else is secondary and doesn't matter nearly as much.