Timing Situation

[JasonTX]

Team A is behind in score 42-40.  With no timeouts they snap the ball 3rd-10 from the A-40 with 12 seconds left in the 4th period.  They throw a pass and it is caught by A-80 and he breaks several tackles and is eventually stopped at the B-10 with 1 second left.  The clock has been stopped for team A gaining the first down.  The play clock is already running and all officials are in position.  Wind the game clock or wait for team A who is rushing to the line to snap the ball?

[dvasques]

Isn't that a RFP clock situation? I'd wind it as soon as the ball is placed, the chain is reset and the crew is ready. Doesn't matter if the offense is ready

[Kalle]

Especially with the new 40 second play clock we should not wait for the offense. Wind the clock when the ball is spotted and all officials are ready. Team A should probably practice more game clock management.

[Morningrise]

As always, you want to make sure you're neither rushing nor delaying. However, this is not a scramble situation like it would be on second down inbounds. You can wait until the chain crew is within one or two seconds of being set, and then communicate along the lines of...

"Ball's ready, clock's gonna start on my whistle, there's one second left, here we go," tweet-wind.

That communication seems like a short but fair amount of time. Importantly, it gives the players auditory warning so they have an idea of when the whistle is imminent. With just one second remaining, I don't wish to put the players, who are facing away from me, in a position where they have no idea whether their one-second window starts now or 30 seconds from now. A word of preparation, if it's brief, preserves an opportunity for a team that's ready but won't bail out out a team that isn't.