Question

[StudyingFutureZebra]

Team B leads Team A 24-22, with 12 seconds to go in the 4th quarter, 1st and 10 at Team B's 40 yard line. A5's pass is complete to A21, who is tackled in bounds by B2 at the B 31, one yard of the first down with 5 seconds on the clock. B2 after making the tackle holds A21 down to prevent the ball from being given to the referee/spotted, and time expires. What foul if any?

[younggun]

A.R. 3-4-2-II

On a running play late in the half the Team A ball carrier is tackled
inbounds. Team B players are deliberately slow to “unpile” in an obvious
attempt to consume time and prevent the officials from making the ball
ready for play. RULING: Team B foul for delay of game. Penalty—five
yards at the succeeding spot. The game clock will start on the snap (Rule
3-4-3).

[Kalle]

As younggun said except for one thing: 1st and 10 for team A at B-26. Reset the game clock to 0:05 (not that it really matters in this case). Game clock will start on the snap.

[maven]

As younggun said except for one thing: 1st and 10 for team A at B-26. Reset the game clock to 0:05 (not that it really matters in this case). Game clock will start on the snap.

Why this?

[younggun]

The referee can use 3-4-3. Plus its the right thing to do.

[maven]

The referee can use 3-4-3. Plus its the right thing to do.

NCAA 3-4-3:
The referee shall order the game clock or play clock started or stopped whenever either team conserves or consumes playing time by tactics obviously unfair. This includes starting the game clock on the snap if the foul is by the team ahead in the score. The game clock will start on the ready-for-play signal after Team A throws an illegal forward or backward pass to conserve time (Rule 3-3-2-e-14) (A.R. 3-4-3-I-V).



Where does it say that we can put time back on the clock?

[NVFOA_Ump]

Don't believe that putting time back on the clock is supported in the rules, but certainly if judged to be a tactic to prevent another snap that crosses the legal line he could call a DOG foul and allow another play.

AR 3-4-3-V. Late in the fourth quarter Team A trails by four points and is driving for a potential score. After a running play on which the ball carrier is tackled inbounds, Team B players are obviously and deliberately slow in letting him get to his feet or otherwise are employing tactics to delay the officials in making the ball ready for play.
RULING: Dead-ball foul against Team B, delay of game. When the ball is ready for play, the referee will signal the 25-second clock to start, and the game clock will start on the snap.

[younggun]

Don't believe that putting time back on the clock is supported in the rules, but certainly if judged to be a tactic to prevent another snap that crosses the legal line he could call a DOG foul and allow another play.

Ok so we are going to let team B get away with the foul and the win? If there is zero time left on the clock and you throw the DOG it is a dead ball foul. The clock says zero. Team A does not get another play. You are right it is not addressed in the rules but you have to do what is right/fair.

[CenTexTM]

Would this not be addressed by 9-2-3, Unfair Acts?  I don't think the rules specifically address what to do when time expires because of a delay by Team B, so this would fall under the part d ("An obviously unfair act not specifically covered by the rules occurs during the game").  The referee can take any action he considers equitable, and putting time back on the clock or extending the game for an untimed down seem like reasonable remedies.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Team A gets to run an untimed down if in the judgment of the calling official and the referee the foul occurred before time had run out and A could have gotten a play off except for the team B delaying tactics.  No need to put time back on the clock.  The game is not over if there is an accepted penalty against Team B and Team A still has possession of the ball.

[Kalle]

The game is not over if there is an accepted penalty against Team B and Team A still has possession of the ball.

Accepted live ball penalty. See rule 3-2-3-a-1.

As to rule support for resetting the clock, the clock should have been stopped when the illegal delay by team B started. Thus, there is a clock error which can be corrected as per 3-2-2-c.

If you don't correct the game clock you need to invoke 9-2-3-d and I don't really think this is a situation not covered by the rules. Much easier to reset the game clock.

[Kalle]

Interestingly there are two A.R.'s about illegal delay by defense by not allowing the ball be made ready but neither has this exact situation. Anybody want to get a RR opinion on this?

[NVFOA_Ump]

I don't see a real need to put time back on the clock given the wide latitude 9-3-3 provides.  R has the remedy of an untimed down but certainly an opinion from RR as to which way we would handle a situation like AR 3-4-3-V if time expired during the B delay would clarify how we should handle the situation.  The answer still has to be that if we judge team A would have had a real chance to run another play except for B's delaying tactics, we have to make sure that A gets that play.

[FLBJ]

I realize this may come as an unpopular comment but in the big scheme of things, what do you think the chances were of A successfully resetting and running a planned play within 5 seconds, especially after a 9 yard gain?

With that in mind, I would be very careful about invoking 3-4-3. Just a thought...

[NVFOA_Ump]

I realize this may come as an unpopular comment but in the big scheme of things, what do you think the chances were of A successfully resetting and running a planned play within 5 seconds, especially after a 9 yard gain?

With that in mind, I would be very careful about invoking 3-4-3. Just a thought...

....... in the judgment of the calling official and the referee the foul occurred before time had run out and A could have gotten a play off except for the team B delaying tactics.

IMO that's a given in the overall scheme of things - The R would have a judgment call that A had some chance of running another play had it not been for B's delaying tactics.  Certainly there would be some cases similar to the case play here that another play would not be possible.

[bama_stripes]

I realize this may come as an unpopular comment but in the big scheme of things, what do you think the chances were of A successfully resetting and running a planned play within 5 seconds, especially after a 9 yard gain?

With that in mind, I would be very careful about invoking 3-4-3. Just a thought...

When in doubt, favor the team that didn't cheat.  B obviously thought that A had some chance of getting a play off.