1st Down Mechanics - Ultra Fast No Huddle Offense

[Fatso]

Except that the mechanic if we are not ready to go when we hit 25 seconds is to use the palms up signal to reset play clock to 25 seconds.  There is absolutely no rule support to allow the offense to dictate the pace of play when we are in a rule book defined administrative stoppage, none.

Is there rule support that RFP can only occur after the box/chains are in place?   

I'm just letting you know the guidance we've been given by our state association. From my understanding, we're not the only state that suggests this.

[sj]

If you start a new series on a yard line, there’s no need to wait for the box or even drop a bag (though the latter doesn’t hurt). Memorize the yard line where the series started at.

This. Also, if A is in hurry mode and you're not going to wait for the chains you can get on your O2O and tell the crew the yardline. Or absent that, since you should know the line to gain for every snap, tell yourself, "32 to the 42" or something similar.

[NVFOA_Ump]

This. Also, if A is in hurry mode and you're not going to wait for the chains you can get on your O2O and tell the crew the yardline. Or absent that, since you should know the line to gain for every snap, tell yourself, "32 to the 42" or something similar.

Then why do the rules even call for an administrative stoppage on all first downs if we are effectively going to treat them exactly the same as any other down?  That's simply stupid and lacks common sense.  The original post asked what mechanic does your crew use to make sure that the snap does not go off prior to the crew being ready, and the absurd silent RFP + wind, not how do we make the stopped time as short as possible.

[zebrastripes]

The game clock stopping on first downs is simply a rule that hasn’t been changed at the high school level because the rules committee hasn’t deemed it necessary like NCAA (under pressure from its conferences’ TV partners) has. And assuming NFHS still wanted the clock to stop inside two minutes like NCAA, now you are creating another exception and we all know NFHS tries to avoid exceptions.

We can hate on NCAA rules (and NFHS rules makers nonsensically make trickle-down rules more complicated than they need to be) in this forum all we want, but let’s not kid ourselves – the :40 play clock was passed because more high school teams are now running college-style offenses, and requiring a ready-for-play whistle subject to every HS referee’s individual pace was no longer fair or feasible. It’s bad enough when HS crews have overweight officials who struggle to get into position efficiently, and not letting A snap the ball on the ground because of a slow down box completely eliminates why the change was made. The NFHS mechanics POE supports this.

[Fatso]

Then why do the rules even call for an administrative stoppage on all first downs if we are effectively going to treat them exactly the same as any other down?  That's simply stupid and lacks common sense.  The original post asked what mechanic does your crew use to make sure that the snap does not go off prior to the crew being ready, and the absurd silent RFP + wind, not how do we make the stopped time as short as possible.

It's not treated like any other down, you know that.  Your black or white interpretation of everything is what lacks common sense.  >99% of the time, the box will be in place by the time the umpire spots the ball and moves to his position.  In the <1% scenario the box isn't in place but the entire officiating crew is, there's no need to hold up the play.  That's the point.

[NVFOA_Ump]

It's not treated like any other down, you know that.  Your black or white interpretation of everything is what lacks common sense.  >99% of the time, the box will be in place by the time the umpire spots the ball and moves to his position.  In the <1% scenario the box isn't in place but the entire officiating crew is, there's no need to hold up the play.  That's the point.

Agreed, that's exactly the point! The box being in place is the only single difference and reason for the 1st down clock stoppage to begin with!  Thanks for acknowledging that!

[Fatso]

Below is from NFHS publication dated 3-10-25 titled "NFHS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOOTBALL GAME AND PLAY CLOCK OPERATORS".  Also below is a link to the online publication.


I don't see any instructions given to the clock operators that they must wait until the box is in place.  Do you?




https://assets.nfhs.org/umbraco/media/4016214/2025-nfhs-general-instructions-for-football-game-and-play-clock-operators-final-3-10-25.pdf

[zebrastripes]

Below is from NFHS publication dated 3-10-25 titled "NFHS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOOTBALL GAME AND PLAY CLOCK OPERATORS".  Also below is a link to the online publication.


I don't see any instructions given to the clock operators that they must wait until the box is in place.  Do you?




https://assets.nfhs.org/umbraco/media/4016214/2025-nfhs-general-instructions-for-football-game-and-play-clock-operators-final-3-10-25.pdf

Nope, you’re not missing anything.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Below is from NFHS publication dated 3-10-25 titled "NFHS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOOTBALL GAME AND PLAY CLOCK OPERATORS".  Also below is a link to the online publication.


I don't see any instructions given to the clock operators that they must wait until the box is in place.  Do you?




https://assets.nfhs.org/umbraco/media/4016214/2025-nfhs-general-instructions-for-football-game-and-play-clock-operators-final-3-10-25.pdf

And why does that have any place here?  The clock operator does NOT WIND THE CLOCK, the REFEREE DOES.  The clock operator pushes the button to physically start the clock.  The ONLY time the clock operator is authorized to start the clock on his own, without a referee wind, is on a snap when the game clock is stopped.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Just for further "clarity" the use of a bean bag to take the temporary place of the box is not mentioned in the NFHS Rule Book or Case Book.  It is also not included in the NFHS 2024-2025 Game Officials manual on Section 1.2 Use Of The Beanbag.  It is mentioned in Section 1.6 Line To Gain Crew in the last paragraph see attachment.  In any case in IMHO does not mean that we should regularly be using a beanbag to mark the new box location to assist an offense running a hurry up.  And the original question that was asked is what mechanic do you use to prevent the snap BEFORE you make the ball ready for play on a first down.

[Fatso]

In any case in IMHO does not mean that we should regularly be using a beanbag to mark the new box location to assist an offense running a hurry up.

Hence the reason why our mechanics manual refers to it as a "rare situation".  Nobody said it is or should be a regular occurrence (except for you in your black or white/ all or nothing typical short-sighted assessments). 

[NVFOA_Ump]

Hence the reason why our mechanics manual refers to it as a "rare situation".  Nobody said it is or should be a regular occurrence (except for you in your black or white/ all or nothing typical short-sighted assessments).

So again, the original question was what does your crew do from a STANDARD MECHANICS standpoint when team A is in a constant hurry-up, to prevent the ball from being snapped before the box is in place and the crew is ready.   Not talking the "rare situation" referenced in the NFHS documents but the every 1st down situation with the specific situation that was mentioned in the original post.  I'm 100% comfortable that we DO NOT allow the snap until the box is in place.  I know what our crew does, what MECHANIC does your crew use to implement this?

[Fatso]

So again, the original question was what does your crew do from a STANDARD MECHANICS standpoint when team A is in a constant hurry-up, to prevent the ball from being snapped before the box is in place and the crew is ready.   Not talking the "rare situation" referenced in the NFHS documents but the every 1st down situation with the specific situation that was mentioned in the original post.  I'm 100% comfortable that we DO NOT allow the snap until the box is in place.  I know what our crew does, what MECHANIC does your crew use to implement this?

The original question is "When Team A who is running an ultra-fast no huddle offense gains a first down and the clock is stopped to allow us to do our official housekeeping what is your accepted mechanic to "hold" the play until you give the "silent wind"/RFP?".  I don't see anything in the question asking about the box being in place.  Regardless, our U spots the ball once he sees all officials are in place and ready to officiate the next down. 99.9% of the time, the box is in place also.