Author Topic: A method for shortening halftime.....  (Read 4837 times)

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Offline Ralph Damren

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A method for shortening halftime.....
« on: June 20, 2019, 11:17:10 AM »
New case 3.1.1B adds creatance for a method we have used successfully for several years. Coaches are made aware of the protocol at every pre-season meeting and we have never had a problem :

(1) A long as 10 minutes have elapsed, once both teams have taken the field, we assume that this is consent of the coaches to shorten the halftime.
(2) If either coach advises us that he wishes to take the full time remaining, we comply with his request.
(3) If not, we instruct the clock operater to re-set the game clock to 3 minutes for warmups.
(4) During the warmup period , we inquire about choices and relay to the opossing coach.

Often this shaves a few minutes of off - what some consider - a lengthly game.

Offline bama_stripes

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2019, 07:00:17 AM »
Down here, we would be summarily executed if we tried that.  Apparently, the only reason for having a football game is to give folks something to watch while the bands are preparing to play.   >:D

Offline ElvisLives

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2019, 10:46:34 AM »
...the marching bands refused to yield.  Do you recall what was the deal, the day the music died?

Don McLean

Offline HLinNC

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2019, 11:31:34 AM »
I've never seen a varsity team, much less two, come back to the field that soon.  We're fortunate not to have to send somebody regularly to one locker room to summon them out before the clock hits 0:00.
 

Offline BIG UMP

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2019, 12:13:30 PM »
Down here, we would be summarily executed if we tried that.  Apparently, the only reason for having a football game is to give folks something to watch while the bands are preparing to play.   >:D

AMEN!!
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Offline BIG UMP

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2019, 12:14:09 PM »
I've never seen a varsity team, much less two, come back to the field that soon.  We're fortunate not to have to send somebody regularly to one locker room to summon them out before the clock hits 0:00.

AMEN Again!!
Big Ump


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Offline Magician

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2019, 12:33:40 PM »
I've never seen a varsity team, much less two, come back to the field that soon.  We're fortunate not to have to send somebody regularly to one locker room to summon them out before the clock hits 0:00.
 
We've seen teams come out a minute or two early and do a quick stretch and head to the sideline ready to go as the clock hits 0. We put 3 minutes on the clock and run it. Sometimes they'll do more stretching. Most of the time they stand around waiting for the clock to expire.

Offline bossman72

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2019, 01:03:21 PM »
3 minute warm up rule is just silly.  Just make halftime longer.  If you want to warm up, come out sooner.  Clock hits zero, we're kicking off.

Offline NVFOA_Ump

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2019, 02:38:23 PM »
3 minute warm up rule is just silly.  Just make halftime longer.  If you want to warm up, come out sooner.  Clock hits zero, we're kicking off.

We might think it's silly but in RI we've been told under no circumstances do we deviate from the 3 minute warmup with the time displayed on the game clock.  We can, with the express agreement of both coaches tweak the half-time length, but the 3 minutes must stay.  We're being told the same here in MA for our 1st season under NFHS rules.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2019, 02:47:13 PM by NVFOA_Ump »
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Offline AlUpstateNY

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2019, 03:22:02 PM »
3 minute warm up rule is just silly.  Just make halftime longer.  If you want to warm up, come out sooner.  Clock hits zero, we're kicking off.

It's a safety precaution, as EVERYONE should loosen up after the intermission and before going at full tilt again.  Bands on the field, aside, when the intermission is over (15, 10, whatever has been agreed) and/or both teams are back on the field,  3 minutes (by rule NFHS Table:3-1) for a "Mandatory Warm-up Period".

Not sure who may be held liable if that "Mandatory" rule instruction is ignored and someone gets hurt, AND have absolutely no interest in finding out.
 

Offline riffraft

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2019, 04:31:05 PM »
We might think it's silly but in RI we've been told under no circumstances do we deviate from the 3 minute warmup with the time displayed on the game clock.  We can, with the express agreement of both coaches tweak the half-time length, but the 3 minutes must stay.  We're being told the same here in MA for our 1st season under NFHS rules.

We are told the same thing in AZ

Offline bossman72

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2019, 10:20:52 PM »
Obviously, we're going to do it, because it's the rule.  Just saying the rule itself is silly.  Especially when both teams are ready to go and we have to wait for 3 minutes to tick off the clock before starting.

If you want to warm up, get out there 3 minutes prior to halftime ending on your own and warm up.

If a player doesn't play the whole game until the 4th qtr, should he need 3 minutes to warm up prior to entering the game?  No.  Same difference.

Offline AlUpstateNY

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2019, 10:38:25 AM »
Obviously, we're going to do it, because it's the rule.  Just saying the rule itself is silly.  Especially when both teams are ready to go and we have to wait for 3 minutes to tick off the clock before starting. If you want to warm up, get out there 3 minutes prior to halftime ending on your own and warm up. If a player doesn't play the whole game until the 4th qtr, should he need 3 minutes to warm up prior to entering the game?  No.  Same difference.

If a coach/school decides to ignore the 3 minute warm-up REQUIREMENT, that's on THEM.  IF WE ALLOW them to get away with it, that shifts the RESPONSIBILITY for whatever BAD happens thereafter to US.  Why would we want to do that?

Offline PABJNR

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2019, 11:37:23 AM »
He’s not saying not to do it, he is saying the rule doesn’t make sense to mandate it. His point is you don’t stop the game in the fourth quarter so a JV sub can warm up, they are responsible for their own warm up prior to entering. Nor is there a mandatory warm up prior to start of game.

That’s all bossman is saying


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Offline sir55

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2019, 12:21:49 PM »
Whether they warm up or not is up to the team and and it's coaches. The case book covers this:3.1.1 SITUATION C:

Upon returning to the field near the end of the normal 15-minute halftime intermission, the game officials notice one team standing quietly in front of its bench during the entire three minutes posted for warm-up. The game officials: (a) start the game as soon as the three minutes have elapsed, or (b) inform the coach of that team that the team must actively warm up by running or doing some kind of exercises.

RULING: The game officials are correct in (a), but in error in (b). The rules book contains no definition of what constitutes a warm-up. It simply requires that an opportunity to warm up be made available.

Silly rule or not, it is our job to enforce the rules as written. If enough coaches and AD's don't like the rule, they can move to change it. We don't get a vote.

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2019, 12:52:16 PM »
In 1983 the 3-minute warmup was required with USC to the HC if not. While there hasn't been any proposal to remove that, there has been some discussion regarding it. If a team is straggling back on the field, if at least half are on the field ,with the rest a' coming, in Maine we say : "Ayuh, 'spect close enough." If both teams are not on the field once the scheduled halftime has ended, the 3-minute warmup clock will begin. We will then ask the team who has the choice what choice they wish, as it could have changed with the looming 15 yarder. 

Offline Magician

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2019, 01:09:44 PM »
In 1983 the 3-minute warmup was required with USC to the HC if not. While there hasn't been any proposal to remove that, there has been some discussion regarding it. If a team is straggling back on the field, if at least half are on the field ,with the rest a' coming, in Maine we say : "Ayuh, 'spect close enough." If both teams are not on the field once the scheduled halftime has ended, the 3-minute warmup clock will begin. We will then ask the team who has the choice what choice they wish, as it could have changed with the looming 15 yarder. 
As long as we can see them moving toward the field at 0:00 we don't worry about it. Sometimes it's close. Only twice have ever flagged a team for it and both times we had an observer. We knew we had to do it then, but they were both very obvious. In one instance the coach did it intentionally because he needed to yell at his team longer. In the other instance the locker room was a 7 minute walk from the field. I don't know why they went there because there wasn't much chance to get back in time.

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2019, 10:27:32 AM »
Down here, we would be summarily executed if we tried that.  Apparently, the only reason for having a football game is to give folks something to watch while the bands are preparing to play.   >:D
Up here, bands only march in parades. They just stay in the stands and play. When their team returns to the field sometimes they will interrupt what they are playing to play the school song. Sometimes they'll continue playing Louie,Louie. Sometimes the team spends their halftime sitting in the endzone listening to their coach. Once they stand up we assume they are ready for their warmup period. Sometimes we zebras go to the back door of the snack shack , where sometimes we get fed. Sometimes some of us will visit the port-a-potty (portable outhouse) where a good "ice-breaker" when leaving , with a line of ugly fans waiting, is : "I just dropped my flag down the hole, does anyone have long arms  :) ??"

Our state is quite laid back in high school football, while many states are probably not. I would estimate that in aprox 1/3 of my games, both teams are out prior to the end of halftime and we signal the clock operator to put up 3:00.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2019, 10:29:21 AM by Ralph Damren »

Offline ucanfindmj

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #18 on: June 26, 2019, 04:02:23 PM »
I have been surprised during the pregame conference with coaches that simply by asking, "So you want the regular 10 min half time," and how often that has worked for me.  I do confirm that they understood that I did say 10 min and not assume they weren't just thinking 15 before I proceed.

Offline blandis

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #19 on: June 27, 2019, 01:06:00 AM »
Members of my association have tried that and applied it on their own. There is are two reasons it is a 15-minute half, one it's the rule (unless both coaches agree to a shortened had prior to the opening kick off), and two the players do need that time to physiologically hydrate and recover for the 2nd half. Follow the rules or legally you can be sued and it will look ugly in court if a lawyer gets an official to admit that he did not follow the rules.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2019, 01:08:31 AM by blandis »

Offline blandis

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #20 on: June 27, 2019, 01:08:53 AM »
Members of my association have tried that and applied it on their own. There is are two reasons it is a 15-minute half, one it's the rule (unless both coaches agree to a shortened half prior to the opening kick off), and two the players do need that time to physiologically hydrate and recover for the 2nd half. Follow the rules or legally you can be sued and it will look ugly in court if a lawyer gets an official to admit that he did not follow the rules.

Online GA Umpire

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #21 on: June 27, 2019, 04:58:04 PM »
Down here, we would be summarily executed if we tried that.  Apparently, the only reason for having a football game is to give folks something to watch while the bands are preparing to play.   >:D

These other folks must not have to deal with their state associaton(s) mandating the length of halftime.
Here halftime is 20 minutes + the three minute warm-up period.  (23 minutes for halftime - total.)

Offline Ralph Damren

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Re: A method for shortening halftime.....
« Reply #22 on: July 01, 2019, 10:35:52 AM »
Members of my association have tried that and applied it on their own. There is are two reasons it is a 15-minute half, one it's the rule (unless both coaches agree to a shortened had prior to the opening kick off), and two the players do need that time to physiologically hydrate and recover for the 2nd half. Follow the rules or legally you can be sued and it will look ugly in court if a lawyer gets an official to admit that he did not follow the rules.
Being aware of the sue-happy nature of some, I admit a nervous concern of 3-1 table statement of : "By mutual agreement of the opposing coaches, the halftime intermission may be reduced to a minimum of 10 minutes." As it didn't specify that the agreement could occur anytime.

Now  with new 'spiffy 3.1.1B Case, I could reply : "Your Honor, I was acting within the specs of fore-mentioned case which allows for said 'agreement of coaches' to occur even during the period of time we refer as 'halftime' "

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