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Football Officiating => NCAA Discussion => Topic started by: zebrastripes on October 25, 2025, 04:22:00 PM

Title: Game clock fails to start properly - why no runoff?
Post by: zebrastripes on October 25, 2025, 04:22:00 PM
Situation occurred in the Ole Miss-Oklahoma game.

A (home team) down 26-34. A 1/10, first snap after the 2:00 timeout in the 4Q. A1 runs for a loss inbounds. The game clock erroneously did not run during the play and still reads 2:00. Replay determines that the 1/10 play took 8 seconds, so the game clock is reset to 1:52, play clock at :40, and both clocks start on the referee’s signal. A snaps the second down play shortly after the ready for play is blown.

The problem with this is that A still benefits from the clock not running during the dead ball period and gets to preserve a lot of time thanks to the antics/competence of their own clock operator. It would seem to be a lot more fair to have a 10-second runoff that A would need to use a timeout to avoid.

I realize that the rules currently don’t allow a runoff in this situation, but it certainly seems like it should be taken under consideration.
Title: Re: Game clock fails to start properly - why no runoff?
Post by: Clear Lake ref on October 25, 2025, 05:49:54 PM
SEC operates its own clock.
Title: Re: Game clock fails to start properly - why no runoff?
Post by: zebrastripes on October 25, 2025, 06:11:19 PM
SEC operates its own clock.
Okay, be that as it may it still doesn’t change the situation that A benefits from a clock error.
Title: Re: Game clock fails to start properly - why no runoff?
Post by: Grant - AR on October 27, 2025, 08:54:36 AM
SEC operates its own clock.

Not anymore.  That changed a few years ago.  Now it's run by the home team's clock operator.