My longest game ever.

[Ralph Damren]

That is excessive. I can see 1:30 to 2:00 if a crew was slow, but over 4 minutes is ridiculous. What are they doing? The try shouldn't be any more than 30-45 seconds.

Scooter runs for TD = congratulated by teammates + sideline cannon goes off + band plays + cheerleaders prance + PAT kick team arrives + RFP + ball kicked into pucker brush + kicking team departs + band plays again +cheerleaders do 7 pushups + largest mammal on chain crew retrieves ball + teams huddle on sidelines + BJ saunters to 40 with football + kickoff team joins BJ there + BJ explains new rule and gives ball to kicker + RFP + ball kicked long /short / high / low/ inbounds /OOB = 4 :30 (our average). In your state you may not have to deal with pucker brush.

[Magician]

Get the ball while he's being congratulated by his teammates. Soil your pants a little while the cannon goes off after you put the ball down (even though you know it's coming). PAT team is arriving as you are getting in position. Blow the RFP maybe 20-25 seconds after the score which is longer than it needs to be. Teams rarely let the play clock run down on a try to assume ball snapped with 10-15 seconds left on the clock. Get second ball from ball boy (either placed behind the goal post or as you run up the sideline). Someone gets ball out of pucker bush while we are doing other things. 1 minute time out between try and RFP for kickoff.

[ECILLJ]

Here is my ten cents on the subject and I realize that a dime is no longer worth what it use to be.

I have worked with officials whom are obsessed with the game time. They will carve every second off the clock that they can get away with. Personally, I am uncomfortable working with these officials because they seem to be more interested in collecting a check and going home rather than officiating a football game.

The creation or modifying of timing rules should not be our concern. The schools and their representative bodies are the ones whom should be or not be concerned. They hire us to officiate the game with the rules they have enacted and put in place.

If they ask us for suggestions, then I am okay with offering my thoughts but we should not be on the leading front of rule changes for game time reduction. To many times these discussions with school representatives and officials do not put us in a favorable light.

[HLinNC]

The MAJOR  culprit was down time from TD to ensuing kickoff = around 4:30 minutes = 35 to 21 game = 10 TDs = 43 minutes added.   

And that's what I'm saying- the try is included in this segment of time.  We know of at least one minute from the end of the try til kickoff 'cause that is in the book.  A slow crew or WH will add to that.  We've been hounded before to get cranked up by that minute and after team time-outs too.

The try is an extension of the previous down that scored the TD.  The clock was obviously live while that play occurred.  If the try is an extension of that down, why could it not be a logical rule change to run the clock on the try.  I realize we probably are only talking around a minute each but in a high TD game,  those minutes add up.
Its a small thing, but since I don't think we'd ever get the votes to install the NCAA rule on OOB or wind on the RFP after an incomplete pass nor any "under 5:00 or 2:00 in a half switch back" kind of rule, I think it can be a compromise.

That and go back to the old rule of wind on RFP after COP.  I don't remember any major problems with WH's blowing the RFP too quickly, not allowing teams to get new personnel out on the field.

[VALJ]

I have worked with officials whom are obsessed with the game time. They will carve every second off the clock that they can get away with. Personally, I am uncomfortable working with these officials because they seem to be more interested in collecting a check and going home rather than officiating a football game.

I've worked with those officials too, and I hate it.  These kids work hard all week, and they deserve all 48 minutes of clock time.  However, there's a big difference between carving every second off we can, and making sure things keep moving at a brisk pace.  I'm not the kind of official who will say a runner's progress was stopped inbounds just to keep the clock moving.  I AM the kind of official who blows the RFP as soon as I reasonably can, and who tries to hurry kick teams on to the field after 45 seconds or so, and who goes in to the huddle at 50 seconds in the timeout saying "coach, time to play". 

One is cheating the kids; the other is game management.

[TampaSteve]

I've worked with those officials too, and I hate it.  These kids work hard all week, and they deserve all 48 minutes of clock time.  However, there's a big difference between carving every second off we can, and making sure things keep moving at a brisk pace.  I'm not the kind of official who will say a runner's progress was stopped inbounds just to keep the clock moving.  I AM the kind of official who blows the RFP as soon as I reasonably can, and who tries to hurry kick teams on to the field after 45 seconds or so, and who goes in to the huddle at 50 seconds in the timeout saying "coach, time to play". 

One is cheating the kids; the other is game management.

+1

[ECILLJ]

One is cheating the kids; the other is game management.

VA, I agree with you 100%. During our Observation game last season, our Observer gave our crew a special mention on his report for our excellent dead ball management and efficiency. He was very pleased with how we kept the game moving. We really appreciated the compliment. It is our crews belief that dead ball management is an important part of our job and we take it seriously.

[NoVaBJ]

The creation or modifying of timing rules should not be our concern. The schools and their representative bodies are the ones whom should be or not be concerned. They hire us to officiate the game with the rules they have enacted and put in place.

Yeah, all well and good, but the unpredictability of when a game or set of games will end, combined with the overall trend toward lengthening games, has put a significant strain on my family life since my daughter was born.

It's primarily for this reason that after 20 years as a football official, I switched back to soccer this year.  I don't yet regret it.

[Ralph Damren]

The only other sport I work is baseball...

    In baseball, the cold - no frozen - base umpire looks at his watch....it's 5 PM and top of the 5th ; later he looks at his watch again...it's now 5 :30 PM and still top of the 5th ...frostbite begins to set in ....

    In football, most games start at 7 PM.....some end by 9 PM...some not until 10 PM...gloves,earmuffs and LLBean woolies keep you warm.....my favorite hobby is officiating football ...if I could choose, what I have liked to do with that extra  hour ....why, officiate football, of course .

[Rulesman]

In football, most games start at 7 PM.....some few end by 9 PM...some most not until after 9 : 30 PM...many darn near 10:00 PM.

FIFY... 

[Ralph Damren]

FIFY... 

I have modified my post to reflect your suggested times ....IMHO, few games in Maine go beyond 2 : 30 in length...probably there are less passes thrown up here ....probably because of the gravitational pull ,or something there such..... I've been in some very,very,very long baseball games..having a very long football game every so often ain't so bad

  Ole' Mainer Proverb : "I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet."