Live and die with the ECO?
 

An inexperienced official is working his first varsity game. A pass to his sideline falls incomplete. The official fails to signal incomplete.

Do you want the ECO to stop the clock without a signal?

Do you want the ECO to continue to let the clock run?

Regardless of who happens to be working the sideline, when a forward pass. legal or illegal, hits the ground, the clock stops.

Depending on the norm for your area, there may be instances and situations whereby the Referee wants to move the clock along, after having advised both teams of his intentions, and you would follow his signals, even when they appear to contradict normal ptotocol.

Incomplete forward passes hitting the ground is NOT one of those circumstances.

Most definitely stop the clock. The ECO knowing ahead of time who the newbies are will help keep the rules followed.

I'd want the ECO to stop the clock only on something like this. I do not want the ECO to substitute their judgment on a ball carried out of bounds, however.

Slightly related:

I had a clock operator on Friday night (home team provides the operator here, in the press box) who simply could not handle my pace, for whatever reason.

On first downs, the LJ stops the clock and as soon as the ball's spotted and I'm confident the box will make it to the spot prior to the next snap, I'm starting it - no different than my RFP pace on other plays. On routine first downs that aren't 30 yards down the field, the clock may be stopped for 3-5 seconds, at most and that's the time it takes for the U to get the ball and get it down.

I stood there winding my arm and winding my arm and...nothing. Drove me crazy. Twice I had to whistle and stop the teams so I could *start* the clock. Miserable.

One place where the NFL has it right. Let the clock run. Why stop it just to move the chains. Do it the last 2 minutes if you want, but why bother otherwise?

I certainly wouldn't want to shock or surprise anyone, but not all Referees choose to do things exactly alike.

Perhaps, that's why it's always a good idea to involve the ECO in as much of the pre-game discussion as possible. At the very least it's a good idea for the Referee to review signals and procedures with each ECO, so everyone is on the same page and there's less chance of misunderstanding.

What if it's obvious that the ball was carried OOB (no contact inbounds, runs cleanly 5 yards or more OOB)? What if it's not clear whether it was a catch or an incomplete pass ("trap")?


I'd rather it be consistent -- it's "tough" even to remember at the NCAA JuCo level not to restart the clock after OOB with <2 minutes in the half.

Except you shouldn't be starting it without a signal from the R, anyway. So I guess I don't get why that's a problem.