Football Officiating > General Discussion
Timing on Field Goals on a Stopped Clock (When to Start and Stop)
blandis:
Having a bit of an issue (OK, I'm fuming a bit at people who don't know the rules) with officials and time keepers that don't understand when to start and stop the clock. We all have nightmare stories like the A.D.'s sister insisting that she knows how to run the clock and doing an abomination of a job. But this has to do with with when do you start the clock on a Field Goal after a incomplete pass or play out of bounds under all sets of rules.
When does the clock start in this scenario? When the ball is touched by the holder. The ball is then kicked less than half-a-second after being touched by the holder allowing time to elapse 2-4 seconds as the ball travels the distance passing over the crossbar and in-between the uprights. So when do you stop the clock?
There are two aspects that apply. A ball is dead and the clock stops when: 1) it touches out of bounds or an object out of bounds; or 2) when a score occurs. When does the Field Goal score occur? When the ball passes completely through the goal (that's completely over the cross bar and completely through the uprights just like in hockey or soccer that a puck or ball must pass completely over the goal line) is when you stop the clock.
So if a kick is not good and is wide the clock keeps going until it touches out of bounds. If a kick is good the clock stops as soon as the ball passes through the goal. In some cases on very short kicks (20-35 yards) only 2 or 3 seconds may go off the clock. 4, or maybe even 5 seconds may go off the clock on really long kicks (45-60 yards).
mishatx:
The clock starts on the snap, and stops on the official's signal.
Kalle:
In NCAA technically on successful field goals the clock should stop only after it is impossible for the ball to be blown back through the uprights. In practice I think most covering officials signal when it hits something beyond the uprights.
blandis:
Why would you take points off the board if the ball "blows back" through the uprights?
blandis:
When is a snap legal?
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