Clock Question After Timeout and Penalty on Subsequent Play

[HLin NC]

No loss of down means in order to get the penalty yardage enforced you have to use multiple timeouts on the same down.

Huh

It just seems punitive to the defense in that situation, particularly when you're managing clock.

The clock was only stopped for the penalty assessment. Defense got to choose the yardage or the down. That is the extent of their options. Decline the penalty and you are one down closer to getting the ball back in your clock management. You don't get a choice of all 3. How badly do you want to punish the offense for a foul at the snap?

[Reffing Rev.]

:When the clock counts...the referee is authorized to start the clock on the snap in the case you mentioned. Under normal circumstances the clock would start on the ready when the down ended in bounds and the clock was then stopped to administer a foul. When it is possible a team fouls to run the clock the referee may hold the clock until the snap.

[maven]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

How badly do you want to punish the offense for a foul at the snap?

That's what I was wondering. Why would the penalty on the offense suddenly become worse because the defense needs to conserve time?

[ATL Bear]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

Huh

Clock is stopped on 2nd down with your initial timeout. In order to stop the clock again and gain the penalty yards, you have to initiate a timeout on the same down.

The clock was only stopped for the penalty assessment. Defense got to choose the yardage or the down. That is the extent of their options. Decline the penalty and you are one down closer to getting the ball back in your clock management. You don't get a choice of all 3. How badly do you want to punish the offense for a foul at the snap?

Well, how is it punishing them any worse when the clock was stopped prior to the play running? Since no loss of down, and the recognition of an illegal play run by the offense thanks to an infraction, why should the offense be entitled to those aspects of the result of the play when the penalty is accepted? Why not simply assess the penalty yardage, while keeping the down and clock status the same as it was at the end of the prior play? Especially when you're talking about a LOS penalty as opposed to a downfield or play action penalty.

[HLin NC]

This isn't some new revelation. Decline the penalty and the down counts. Your defense is now one down closer to getting off the field and getting the ball back.
It isn't the rules committee's job to just totally bail out your defense and save your TO's

Pretty basic timing rule. I don't know too many teams that commit an intentional IF.

[PAUmpire]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

Pretty basic timing rule. I don't know too many teams that commit an intentional IF.

And if they do the White Hat has the authority to stop the clock, else wise just keep playing your game.

[HLin NC]

Of course if we're just going all out, let's just make A automatically turn the ball over to B because they are trying to save their TO's .

There goes that pesky fundamental about no foul causes loss of the ball

[bisonlj]

Without their foul, it would be 3rd down and the clock would continue running. You would have to use your time out anyway. Now with the foul you have a choice. If you can't afford to have any more time run off the clock, you decline the penalty and take the result of the play. If the yardage would be helpful (i.e. get your opponent out of FG range), then you may want to consider accepting the penalty.

You would like the NFL version of this. I'm not sure about all fouls, but the Cowboys committed a foul a couple weeks ago with just over a minute left and they were trying to run out the clock. The clocked stopped for penalty enforcement and did not start until the snap. Rather than run out most of the time, it gave Detroit plenty of time to run several plays and set up the winning TD.

[HLin NC]

You would like the NFL version of this. I'm not sure about all fouls, but the Cowboys committed a foul a couple weeks ago with just over a minute left and they were trying to run out the clock. The clocked stopped for penalty enforcement and did not start until the snap. Rather than run out most of the time, it gave Detroit plenty of time to run several plays and set up the winning TD.

I think this is what he wants.