In NCAA, 10-second runoffs are hardwired into the rules, so while zap-10 may seem unfair, a foul that immediately stops the clock or prevents the snap does have an effect on the game, so the NCAA Rules Committee saw the need to add a 10-second runoff to the game to nullify the effect of fouls stopping the clock. In the 2010 Music City Bowl, North Carolina spiked the ball with 1 second left and 17 players on the field
. Of course, there was a
for illegal substitution, but the game clock was stopped, and UNC was able to substitute on the field goal team and tie the game. To prevent something like this from happening again, the 10-second runoff was introduced.
Perhaps NFHS should take a leaf out of the NCAA Rules Book on this one, because while the intentional grounding was not done to deliberately bypass the rules (it was done to abort the play and give the offense a chance to attempt another), it still "gamed" the game clock by stopping it when it would not have stopped absent the foul. The same thing applies for false starts, encroachments, illegal substitutions, helmets off, and injuries, because all disrupt the flow of the game, and cause stoppages when there would otherwise be none. To prevent tomfoolery with the game clock near the end of each half (when teams are more likely to do crazy stuff to save or spend time), the 10-second runoff is an option in the last minute, as well as the ability to start the clock on the snap after penalties at the option of the offended team (NFHS) or trailing team (NCAA; note that when the game is tied, both teams are considered trailing for the purpose of this rule) in the last 2 minutes of each half.