Stopping the clock
 

I am a relatively new official. The rules, as I understand them, indicate that the clock should be stopped when the ball (and I assume runner with the ball) goes out of bounds. The more experienced officials tell me not to stop the clock if the runner is forced out of bounds or the tackler pushes him out. I cannot find a ruling to support what I am being told.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

If forward progress is stopped in bounds before the runner is pushed out, you would give the forward progress spot and keep the clock running. Otherwise the clock should stop.

You were explained to incompletely. If the runner is pushed out GOING FORWARD, you would stop the clock. If the runner is pushed out going backward, the play actually ended when the push started - in bounds - at the point of forward progress. AFTER the play ended, the runner ended up out of bounds, but the play was already over.

And when it's 30-0, you're giving the extreme benefit of the doubt to the clock.

The rule reference is as follows:

4-2-2 The ball becomes dead and the down is ended:

a. When a runner goes out of bounds, is held so his forward progress is stopped or allows any part of his person other than hand or foot to touch the ground.

If the down ends with the runner in bounds by virtue of his forward progress being stopped, there is no 3-4-4 provision that would lead to the clock being stopped even though the runner might end up OOB.