From the perspective of a clock operator, the "wind" signal given by field officials, on any play close to a sideline, removes any element of doubt as to what has happened. That confirmation may be more helpful on plays at the near sideline, rather than far sideline, because so much of the actual sideline is blocked from sight on the near sideline. The far sideline can swallow up a wing official due to the congestion in front of the team area.

It is extremely helpful, for the "inside" field officials (R & U) to pick up and relay those wind signals because the sideline congestion often blocks, or delays, observing the wing officials. (Despite the many significant benefits gained by changing to black pants for officials, picking officials up, vizually, on a crowed sideline, is more difficult than it was when white knickers were worn).

"Inside" officials (R & U) can provide a similar benefit echoing incomplete (or stop the clock) signals on sideline passes, for the same congestion reasons.

Perhaps habit, but the wind signal, followed by stop the clock, on 1st downs near a sideline, when the play ends in bounds, despite recent suggestions, are extremely helpful in alerting the clock operator of the circumstance and subsequently finding and focusing on the Referee, so that the subsequent instruction to start the clock, on the RFP, being anticipated, will be responded to promptly.

When the combination of both signals is executed properly, there should be NO time lost. The primary purpose of any signal, should be to convey pertinent, relevant information to where it is needed.

The HL mirrors our stop the clock mechanic on a first down.

Our LJ makes 100% of the line-to-gain decisions. If he stops the clock on a play that ends inbounds, it's a first down OR the chains are coming out. My only signal as the R is the first down, ball spotted, wind clock. Or I bring the chains out. Even *I* don't mirror the stop the clock as the R -- it's completely unnecessary -- I've already looked to make sure the clock stopped.

I've seen crews work where every official seems to mirror everything. I think that's completely unnecessary. YMMV.

If the clock fails to stop on a play where the LJ is the covering official and the ECO doesn't see the signal, I'll put the time back on the clock. I can't remember the last time that happened. Most of the film we get back is from the press box -- and our LJ is very, very visible from that height.

[QUOTE=Rich;904566]
I've seen crews work where every official seems to mirror everything. I think that's completely unnecessary. YMMV.[QUOTE]

Our state requires that all officials mirror the "stop-the-clock" signal for the reasons that ajmc gave.

The mechanics folk seem to flip-flop on this one. I remember a state clinic I attended years ago where they emphasized absolutely no mirroring of signals (especially TDs). This applied even to stopping the clock. Then, just a couple of years later, some officials returned from a state clinic pointing out that all officals--except the covering official--are to mirror stop the clock signals. And other officials were to stop the clock when the covering official signaled an incomplete pass. Then against, just a few years later, no mirroring of signals. At one point, there was even a mechanic to not have other officials stop the clock on an incomplete pass (since the incomplete signal itself was sufficient).

For my part, I think the problem is poor mechanics and lack of consistency. The evaluators see several crews doing something poorly or inconsistently, or several different crews doing things differently, so then they come out with some new mechanics to try and get things into shape. Then it oscillates between new mechanics, crews not well trained or practiced, then back to new mechanics.

Shrug.

On my crew we all signal with a stop clock motion if a first down is made and obvious. If we have a first and 10 and they gain 30 yards, we give the signal. Only the LJ makes the decision when it is close.

And as BJ I will signal stop clock when I know it should be, even if it is an out of bounds play as I have responsibility on the sideline for clean up. I would not say we mirror everything. If I do not see something, I do not make any signal.

And we also do not put time on the clock for something like a first down unless time is critical. But if it is 8:52 on the clock and during a first down with the clock would be running, we are not putting time on the clock if a couple of seconds ran off.

Peace

I'm glad I started this discussion....
 

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the info. I'm glad I could open what is turning out to be an important discussion. The only other question I have (what is still confusing me):

If the player is tackled INBOUNDS very close to the sideline and he was either going forward or sideways (IOW his forward momentum was not stopped), after he was down the play carried him out of bounds, what would I signal? Let's say for the sake of argument his knee hit the ground when he was obviously inbounds, but in the pile up, he wound up oob?

Thanks again for all your help. You will make me a good official yet lol.

Paul

Your description is confusing. You ask "if he's tackled" but "still moving forward"... if he's still moving forward, he's not tackled.

To try to answer what I think you're asking ... if the official rules his forward motion to be ended, it is at that spot that the play ends... in bounds. If the official rules he went out of bounds before his forward movement had stopped, he's out of bounds.

There's no in-between case.

(And if his knee hit in bounds, the play ended in bounds).

No need to signal anything regarding the clock. If anything, you can signal by winding the clock.