Delay of Game?
 

So, last night. Kickoff slated for 7:00. Visiting team is on the field with about 3 minutes left on pregame clock. Clock runs out, nome team on field yet. Visiting team huddles and gets kickoff team ready, about 3 minutes pass by and no home team. Visitors ask for a delay of game penalty. Home team finally runs through their spirit line, then huddles up kick receiving team on sideline. White gives two warning whistles. Should we have had a delay penalty?



3-6-3 says a team shall be ready to play within 2 minutes after being ordered to do so by the referee. Would this apply? The penalty for this is a forfeit. Any thoughts

That really all depends on what the circumstances were, and whether your Referee wanted to hang his hat, and maybe his career, on proving to all those in attendance how much of a hard case he could be.

Dealing with a mouse problem by fitting mouse traps with nuclear warheads, will absolutely get rid of mice, but the resulting collateral damage may be judged to be somewhat excessive and even counterproductive.

I'm not saying, I would do it, and we didn't do it. It was closing in on five minutes and they weren't out of the locker room. Opposing coach was getting real irriatated.

I guess my real question is where is that line?

If you're going to do anything, this situation is covered in 9-8-1-g-2 (unsportsmanlike conduct charged to the head coach).

Our line judge does not come out until the home team is out. He is up there and ensures that they come out onto the field.

It's not clear to me that any of 3-6 applies until the game has begun. I think it's up to league rules as to whether there'd be any sanction or not, or what kind, but I think it's outside officials' jurisdiction under the playing rules, although there might be something in the officials' manual on it. The rules say when the officials' jurisdiction ends, though not when it begins, so I take it that the game, and any results of the game, begins when it begins.

This.

Our mechanic is to bring the teams out before the game and at half time so this isn't an issue.

Rule 1-1-7
The game officials shall assume authority for the contest, including penalizing unsportsmanlike acts, 30 minutes prior to the scheduled game time or as soon thereafter as they are able to be present.

Use the forfeit rule when a team simply refuses to play. Not after halftime or at the beginning. It would have to be absurdly egregious (refusing to send out his team because he's mad about a call, etc) - and you definitely want to be telling the coach. "OK, coach, have it your way. You have 2 minutes to get on the field or the game is over."

I can't recall it happening. I can recall my WH threatening it once - after a time out, the coach was upset at what he perceived to be 2 consecutive missed PF's on the other team and told my WH he wouldn't send out his team because it wasn't safe. WH told him he's got 2 minutes. We ended up flagging 2 DOG's, walking both off, when he finally sent his team out.

Just curious, but the NCAA does require B to field a team, and will flag B for a DOG, right? That is, if A is ready to go and B is on the sidelines, there isn't a provision for blowing the ready for play without B ready, right?

And on the NFHS side of things, I'm not sure we have such a limitation (rulewise). I've seen plenty of games where the RFP is blown before B is even close to ready. Though I've never seen it with B standing on the sidelines.

I hate when drafters do that, using different words like "authority" and "jurisdiction" so when you search for one you don't find the other, even when they're in proximity.

REPLY: If you want to end your officiating career and really go out in a blaze of YouTube glory, just blow the ready-for-play with A on the field ready to go and B on the sideline. Warn them, give them a DOG, give them a second DOG. But don't EVER blow the RFP without B on the field ready to go.

I don't disagree! :D

My question really revolved around the actual rules. I was just wondering if the NCAA actually prohibited a RFP without B on the field.

The rules regarding resumption of play after a stoppage are of relatively recent vintage. Used to be that once a half was under way in NCAA or a period in Fed, the rules would be perfectly satisfied by some or all of team B's staying off the field and team A's putting the ball in play unopposed or semi-opposed. Then again, years ago I don't recall all 11 of either team going to the sideline even during time outs without immediately being subbed for on the field.

I had a WH blow the ready when B only had 8 in place for the try. B had been horribly unprepared for almost every game situation and WH wanted to send a message. When a handful of B players started running in from the sideline U blew a DOG rather than letting a B player get a cheap shot against A. But the point got across-pay attention to your job and quit screwing around with senseless teen drama.

I'd consider that to be a gray HTBT area, but not something to do lightly. That could have gone badly and I had to return to that sideline after the try.