Start Clock?

[Tom Cook]

Friday night we had a pass by A, which was intercepted by B. B, however was called for roughing the passer and interference on the play. A accepted the penalty and during enforcement the referee looked at me and said "clock starts on the snap, right?" I concured and that's what we did. The coach on my side was yelling for the clock to start on the ready. I told him that there had been a change of posession even though his team didn't get to keep the ball and the clock had to start at the snap. Does anyone here disagree?

[BktBallRef]

I disagree. According to 3-4-2 & 3, the clock should have started on the ready. It would only start on the snap if B had actually been awarded a new series. Since there were penalties there was not a new series for B, even though there was a change of possession. For that reason the clock should start on the ready.

3.4.3d is the closest case book play that I could find. It's a different play but it points out that the clock starts on the snap because there was a change of possession AND there was a new series awarded to B.

MHO

[This message has been edited by BktBallRef (edited August 30, 2000).]

[Theisey]

Unless you were playing under NCAA rules, the clock should have been started.

An almost identical play is covered in this years Football Rules Differences manual, rule 3:7 play #1

the basics for NFHS are that "a new series is not awarded to team B until all acts that occurred during the down, including penalties other than nonplayer or unsportsmanlike, are considered".
In this play, the penalty negates team B from being awarded a 1st down. Team A continues, clock on ready.

Under NCAA, the clock would start on the snap.

[criss]

I have to agree. Since there was no change in possession (due to the penalty), the clock should start on ready! An incomplete pass of course would mean no start until snap.

Steve