End of Half Delay of Game Question

[Robert Goodman]

So why does the rule book say violations of 3-6 (including the type cited above) are penalized as "Delay of game" and given signal 21? Some of those are fouls to consume time, and some could be fouls to either conserve or consume time. (3-6-2d is about negligence re gear like mouth guards, and although it does delay the game, does not appear to be about deliberately doing so, so that's a kind of 3rd category because it's not tactical.)

If 3-5 says the clock starts on the snap for a scrimmage following a delay of game penalty, that would appear to include, perversely, penalties for illegally conserving time as per 3-6-2 c & f; surely it does not, I hope! Some of you are writing that those violations are not treated the same, yet they're given the same name and signal. Is there some other provision of the rules which is to be read as an exception to those clauses of 3-6-2? In that case I sure wish Fed would've referenced them there as such!