Question from Bi-weekly CFO quiz

[younggun]

How many of you got D?

2. Ball carrier A44 gains a first down and is tackled in the field of play. When the game clock stops it reads 0:03 in the third quarter and Team A has no timeouts remaining. With a strong wind at its back Team A wants to spike the ball for one additional play before the quarter ends. When the referee signals to start the clock, the snapper is slow in snapping the ball. The quarterback takes the snap and spikes the ball directly to the ground. The game clock reads 0:00.
a. The half is over.

b. The minimum-time-to-spike rule does not apply in the first and third quarters. 

c. Officials must restore three seconds to the game clock and allow Team A to replay the down.

d. None of the above.

[Kalle]

I read this to mean that team A is not prompt enough to ground the ball in two seconds ("the snapper is slow in snapping the ball"). Assuming no typos, D would be the correct answer as the quarter, not half is over - but I'd assume a typo and answer A.

[younggun]

I thought that too, but then it gos into the wind part. The only time I can see a team using a spike at the end of the first or third is if there is a strong wind and they want to kick a FG with the wind.