On-field operated wireless game clocks

[BNE-Ref]

Do any of you have any experience with operating the game clock from the field itself (by one of the officiating crew)?

Being a non-traditional sport here in Australia, many of our games are played either at fields with no visible game clock, or with no ECO competent to work the game clock.

In our Queensland league, the bigger (playoff or televised) games are typically at venues with visible game clocks, but it has typically been the responsibility of the officials association to assign a dedicated ECO (not one who is also an Alternate).

With a likely sharp increase in the number of games next year (and specifically the number of televised games), and without an anticipated similar increase in the number of officials, having a dedicated ECO is not going to remain feasible.

Thus, there is some thought of purchasing a number of portable electronic scoreboards (either tripod or trailer mounted) to be taken round to venues, with a wireless remote for operating the clock (quite a few companies sell them).  I was wondering if any of you have used these devices before - wondering how they were in terms of reliability and signal reception?

[TampaSteve]

We have 1 school where the ECO-man's device is via remote (where the ECO can do the clock either in the pressbox or the sideline), but the device is the size of a brick.
Can't say I've seen or heard of a portable clock that works via remote that (I assume) is perhaps the size of a cell phone (?) & I suppose you clip on your belt (?).

I went to AU in the 90's & during the trip I went to an Aussie rules football game.  I have a funny story about the game if you want to PM me.

[El Macman]

I don't know your local conditions, but I wouldn't want to set a precedent that would be hard to break. The game management folks are responsible to provide all required equipment to conduct the contest, and they are responsible for providing "assistants" for the officials (chain crew, clock operators, ball persons). If you a) bring the equipment and/or b) perform the duties of the assistants, then game management will have no incentive to step up and do what they need. The on-field crew can not possibly run the chains and can't possibly manage game balls efficiently without assistants. Running the game clock on the field is possible, but requires so much attention that it prevents the responsible official from performing his actual game officiating duties effectively. That's not a precedent to allow to be set.

Offer to train the assistants, but don't fall into the trap of providing equipment or assistants.

[HLinNC]

I assume that similar equipment could be utilized that is now used in college basketball if a team wanted to go that route.  I've not seen it used in football.

The SEC has used a sideline ECO for a long-time.  I have not been to a game at Tennessee in several years but the ECO was an assigned SEC official with the game crew and could be used as an alternate official.  He carried a clock switch along the sideline but it was hard wired.

Back in the early 80's I was a manager for my university's basketball team and was responsible for setting up the scorer's table.  The Southern Conference was using a product called Whistle Stop.  The referee's whistle had a nipple with flexible tubing running down to a box on the belt.  Every pre-game we would set up the device, the referee's would come out for a test, it wouldn't work right, and they would tell me to put it away.

[TampaSteve]

I don't know your local conditions, but I wouldn't want to set a precedent that would be hard to break. The game management folks are responsible to provide all required equipment to conduct the contest, and they are responsible for providing "assistants" for the officials (chain crew, clock operators, ball persons). If you a) bring the equipment and/or b) perform the duties of the assistants, then game management will have no incentive to step up and do what they need. The on-field crew can not possibly run the chains and can't possibly manage game balls efficiently without assistants. Running the game clock on the field is possible, but requires so much attention that it prevents the responsible official from performing his actual game officiating duties effectively. That's not a precedent to allow to be set.

Offer to train the assistants, but don't fall into the trap of providing equipment or assistants.

...of course bringing your own toys could be an opportunity to increase the fees they would compensate to  the officials too...   

[TxSkyBolt]

Used it some years ago in an adult 6-man league.  Had some difficulty getting the clock to start and stop via remote from bad angles, ie when the play was near an end zone. 

[AlUpstateNY]

Offer to train the assistants, but don't fall into the trap of providing equipment or assistants.

May I suggest a 3rd option, that has proven to be very successful on multiple levels.  Provide certified officials to handle the game clock, when field (scoreboard) clocks are in operation.  Game clock operators are fully certified Chapter members, who dress in full uniform, and operate the game clock ONLY, and along with all field officials are assigned by our Chapter.  Any other scoreboard activities (down. distance, yard line) are operated by individuals provided by game management. For Schools that do not provide a scoreboard volunteer, our Clock Operatos will post scores (as that function is completed during a dead ball period and does not distract from clock operation)

Recent turf field installations have included field 25 second clocks, which if utilized are also operated by a separate, fully dressed, certified official.  (2012 Fees are $81.00 HS field official, $49.00 Clock Operator), Youth Football $42.00 field official, $34.00 Clock Operator (10 min. Quarters).

Schools have the option whether to utilize the field clock, or have time kept on the field by game officials and virtually all Schools and Youth football organizations having field clocks available opt for an official timer.  If the field clock malfunctions, the Referee decides whether to use the clock operator along the sideline, or added to the field crew.  The Referee also decides whether to use the clock operator should a field official become unavailable.

[El Macman]

Provide certified officials to handle the game clock, when field (scoreboard) clocks are in operation. 

Fine idea, but you missed the point of the discussion. They are already doing that. Half of the problem is that many of the fields on which they work don't even have field clocks. But, he also said they don't - and won't - have a enough members in their officiating organization to continue to assign ECOs to the games. Thus, the discussion of how to solve the problem.

BNE-Ref is trying to solve the first problem by having someone procure "portable" field clocks that can be moved from field to field. I'm not sure if he is thinking that they - the officiating organization - will procure them and assume the responsibility of bringing the field clocks to the games, or if they are thinking that the various team organizations will procure them and move them from field to field as needed. If that is their thinking, that is very admirable and magnanimous, but my first advice to BNE is to not let the team organizations assume a posture of 'expectation' that you - the officiating organization - will provide the game clocks. That's rather like taking your car to a mechanic and having him expect that you will bring your tools for him to use.

However, I suspect that he is thinking that the team organization(s) will procure the clocks, to be shared among the various fields. The obvious issues are a) availability of electrical power, b) control of the clock (via 'hard wire' or wireless), and c) operation of the clock, i.e., by dedicated ECO or by an on-field official.

Obviously, a hard-wired controller requires a dedicated ECO - no option. But a wireless start-stop switch (not a whole controller - just an ON/OFF switch) might be able to be operated by an on-field official. However, my second advice to BNE is to only operate the clock on the field in the event of a field clock malfunction. We have all "been there, done that" enough to know that it is virtually impossible to officiate the 'play' of the game AND properly operate the game clock. It is true that the NFL requires the L to time the game on his wrist watch (many NCAA Ls do that also). But that is done as a back up, in the event the game clock fails or the ECO screws up. They would NEVER have an on-field guy as the primary game timer.

The team organizations simply must step up and provide the equipment and assistants. Meet with them in the pre-season/off-season to train them. Certainly, offer to assign ECOs if you have membership to make that work. But, ultimately, it is the team organizations that are responsible to provide the equipment and assistants.

[ECILLJ]

We worked two games this year that had on the field wireless controls for the game clock. Our BJ was not happy with the bulkiness of the apparatus. The equipment we saw is not practically designed. As a crew, we are seldom happy with game clock operators, so we prefer the BJ to operate the clock. I am not sure our BJ shares those sentiments.

[BNE-Ref]

Thanks all, for the feedback to date.

Firstly, just to clarify, the proposal is for the league to purchase, and arrange to deliver/setup the portable clocks to each venue.  In that way, it would be no different to having a visible game clock already at the ground as far as the equipment goes.  The officials association would not be involved in this side of things.

Some examples would be
http://www.scoretronics.com/Portable_clock_timer.htm
http://www.scoretronics.com/football_soccer_hockey_scoreboard.htm
http://www.robbinssports.com/molten-top90xr-deluxe-digitimer-wireless-portable-scoreboard-p-773.html

Most of the portable devices we've looked at are either solar or 12V car battery powered, with wireless controllers that are handheld sized, capable of going on a lanyard or on a belt clip.

Unlike most of you, we've had to spend years keeping the game clock on the field, so we're fairly relaxed about the process of doing so.  Where we have no visible game clock and ECO (about 80% of our games), the game clock is kept by the BJ (FJ in 6 man), though where we have an inexperienced BJ we will often swap and have R work the game clock and BJ the play clock.  Certainly not ideal, but being a minor sport with limited people with experience, we make do the best we can.

Because of the lack of a visible game clock at those venues, HL and LJ often spend too much time relaying game clock information to the coaches, hence another motivator for moving to a visible game clock.

It is definitely the case that where possible, we will have a trained, dedicated ECO.  But, the realities of the game here are that we cannot count on this - we currently have 15 officials in our association, and we expect that in the 2013 season, these 15 (plus however many we can recruit) officials will need to cover 9 games a weekend (Fri night, Sat afternoon, Sat night).   We work 5 man crews for the 4 senior and 2 ladies' games, and 2+2 - 2 trained officials plus 2 team provided volunteers for the 3 youth games; and I'm not sure what we're going to do for the new pee-wee games starting next year.  All post-season games are run as 7 man crews.

The home team is also expected to provide the chain crew and ball boys, but the chain crews are often co-opted at the last minute, and we often have no ball boys for at least part of the game.  Most certainly not ideal, but those are the realities of the game as it currently stands.  So, asking the home teams to also provide a trained ECO is not going to work for us, sadly.

Hence, other than for the playoffs, having an official as an off-field, dedicated ECO is not going to happen.  Next year, during the regular season, we're expecting 2 televised games per week, and so, for those games at least, we need a visible off-field clock.  However, because of the number of games and number of officials, it will be impossible for us to have an official work as the ECO off-field, and so, our best option seems to be to try and get a solution where an on-field official (BJ or R) is operating the game clock.  For us, it shouldn't be any different, as we already keep the game clock on a stop watch regularly, it will just be a technology change - stopwatch on wrist vs remote control on belt.

So, whilst I was originally hoping to get feedback on experiences with such systems, please keep all other suggestions coming - they're much appreciated.

Mark

[TampaSteve]

That first remote fitting in a palm: could be great if you could rig it to a velcro ir similar thing & wear it like a watch.

[ECILLJ]

I need to correct my post. We have used wireless play clocks and not wireless game clocks. Big difference. Sorry for the confusion.

[Rulesman]

...wireless play clocks and...wireless game clocks.

The technology is the same.

[El Macman]

I need to correct my post. We have used wireless play clocks and not wireless game clocks. Big difference. Sorry for the confusion.

You have a an on-field guy running the electronic play clock? Wow. Dedicated PCOs have great difficulty managing the play clock. How can we expect an on-field guy to start a 40-second count when he's trying to signal for the clock to stop, get forward progress, keep opponents separated, handle the ball, etc.? That's insane.

I made that comment when they first introduced the 40-second clock. If the play clocks malfunction, it is unrealistic to expect the B to be able to administer the 40-second play clock effectively and efficiently. The Committee obviously recognized that when they made it mandatory for all fields to have play clocks, even prior to establishing the 40-25-second system. 25 was a breeze compared to the 40. With 25, you just waited for the RFP signal, which wasn't going to happen until the ball was spotted, and all officials were in position for the next down. Plenty of time to handle end-of-down and between-down duties, and be ready to start the 25-second count. With 40, there is no practical way to handle end-of-play duties AND manage the play clock correctly with an on-field official.  E.g., the B covers a deep pass, and, while signaling T/O (first down), the receiver and defender get up and get mask-to-mask, trash talkling and trying to intimidate each other. B: "Excuse me, fellas. Would you two hold up a second (stop scrapping) while I reset the play clock. OK. Got it. You can continue now." In reality, he would have to try to separate them before fiddling with the play clock, which could take anywhere from a few seconds to 10-15 seconds (without a flag). So, now Team A gets 45-60 seconds to snap the ball. Totally defeats the point of the 40-second clock to begin with - consistency.

My hat is off to you guys if you can pull that off effectively.

[ECILLJ]

I am referring to the play clock for NFHS. It is 25 seconds beginning on the RFP whistle.

[El Macman]

I am referring to the play clock for NFHS. It is 25 seconds beginning on the RFP whistle.

That's easier. But still better to have a dedicated PCO and ECO.

[buckshot]

Being in the same organisation as BNE-Ref, we always have to keep the 25/40 clock on field.  Even in the rare instances we have an off field clock, we never have an off field play clock.  I actually don't find it that bad at B, the clock is fairly well designed and you can hit the 25 or 40 switch very quickly without looking, so my mechanic is to hit it as soon as the ball is dead and I can still do signals and officiate the dead ball action without any interruption.  Occasionally I've had to use it at U in a 4 man crew, and that definitely becomes tricky.

Not ideal, but we live with it.