Clock Question After Timeout and Penalty on Subsequent Play

[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.