SECTION 3. Timeouts: Starting and Stopping the Clock

Timeout

ARTICLE 1.

  1. An official shall signal timeout when the rules provide for stopping the clock or when a timeout is charged to a team or to the referee. Other officials should repeat timeout signals. The referee may declare and charge himself with a discretionary timeout for any contingency not elsewhere covered by the rules (A.R. 3-3-1-IV).

  2. When a team’s charged timeouts are exhausted and it requests a timeout, the officials shall not acknowledge the request. (Rule 3-3-4).

  3. Once the game begins, players shall not practice with a ball on the field of play or the end zones except during the half-time intermission.

Starting and Stopping the Clock

ARTICLE 2.

  1. Free Kick. After the ball is free-kicked, the game clock shall be started on an official’s signal when the ball is legally touched in the field of play, or when it crosses the goal line after being touched legally by Team B in its end zone. It is subsequently stopped on an official’s signal when the ball is dead by rule. (A. R. 3-3-2-VII)

  2. Scrimmage Down. When a period begins with a scrimmage down, the game clock shall be started when the ball is legally snapped. On all other scrimmage downs, the game clock shall be started when the ball is legally snapped (Rule 3-3-2-d) or on a prior signal by the referee (Rule 3-3-2-e). The game clock shall not run during a try, during an extension of a period or during an extra period (A.R. 3-3-2-I-IV).

  3. After a Score. The game clock shall stop on an official’s signal after a touchdown, field goal or safety. It shall be started again as in (a) above unless an accepted penalty erases the score, in which case it shall be started when the ball is legally snapped.

  4. Starts on the Snap. For each of the following, the game clock is stopped on an official’s signal. If the next play begins with a snap, the game clock will start on the snap:

    1. Touchback

    2. With fewer than two minutes remaining in a half a Team A ball carrier, fumble or backward pass is ruled out of bounds. (Exception: After a Team A forward fumble, the clock starts on the referee’s signal.)

    3. Team B is awarded a first down and will next snap the ball (A.R. 3-3-2-V).

    4. A forward pass is ruled incomplete.

    5. A team is granted a charged timeout.

    6. The ball becomes illegal.

    7. Violation of a rule for mandatory equipment (Rule 1-4-4) or illegal equipment (Rule 1-4-7).

    8. A legal kick down ends. (A.R.3-3-2-VI)

    9. A return kick is made.

    10. A scrimmage kick is made beyond the neutral zone.

    11. Team A commits a delay-of-game foul while in a scrimmage-kick formation.

    12. A period ends.

  5. Starts on the Referee’s Signal. For each of the following reasons, the game clock is stopped on an official’s signal. If the next play begins with a snap, the game clock will start on the referee’s signal:

    1. Team A is awarded a first down, either through play or by penalty. 2. A Team A forward fumble goes out of bounds.

    2. Other than with fewer than two minutes remaining in a half, a Team A ball carrier, fumble or backward pass is ruled out of bounds.

    3. To complete a penalty (Exception: Rule 3-4-4-c).

    4. An injury timeout is allowed for one or more players or an official (A.R. 3-3-5-I-V).

    5. An inadvertent whistle is sounded.

    6. A possible first-down measurement.

    7. A delay in making the ball ready for play is caused by both teams (A.R. 3-3-1-III).

    8. A live ball comes into possession of an official.

    9. A head coach’s conference or instant-replay challenge is requested. 11. The referee grants a media timeout.

    10. The referee declares a discretionary timeout.

    11. The referee declares a timeout for unfair noise (Rule 9-2-1-b-5 ). 14. An illegal pass is thrown to conserve time (A.R. 7-3-2-II-VII) (Exception: Rule 3-4-4-c).

    12. The referee interrupts the 40/25-second count.

    13. A player’s helmet comes completely off through play. 17. When either team commits a dead-ball foul.

  6. Snap Supercedes Referee’s Signal. Whenever one or more incidents that cause the game clock to be started on the referee’s signal (Rule 3-3-2-e) occur in conjunction with any that cause it to be started on the snap (Rules 3-3-2-c and 3-3-2-d), it shall be started on the snap. (Exception: Rule 3-4-4)

Suspending the Game

ARTICLE 3.

  1. The referee may suspend the game temporarily when conditions warrant such action.

  2. When the game is stopped by actions of a person(s) not subject to the rules or for any other reasons not in the rules and cannot continue, the referee shall:

    1. Suspend play and direct the players to their team areas.

    2. Refer the problem to those responsible for the game’s management. 3. Resume the game when he determines conditions are satisfactory.

  3. If a game is suspended under Rules 3-3-3-a and b before the end of the fourth period and cannot be resumed, there are four possible options:

    1. Resume the game at a later date;

    2. Terminate the game with a determined final score;

    3. Forfeit of the game; or 4. Declare a no contest. The option that takes effect shall be determined by conference policy if both institutions are members of the same conference. In non- conference competition, the directors of athletics at the participating institutions or their designees, in consultation with the coaches, must agree on one of the four options. This agreement will include the final score if the game is terminated (Rule 8-1-2). In the event that the directors of athletics do not reach an agreement, the conference policy of the home team shall be used to determine the outcome.

  4. If a game is suspended under Rules 3-3-3-a and b after four periods of play and cannot be resumed, the game shall be ruled a tie. The final score shall be the score at the end of the last completed period. (Note: If a winner must be determined in a conference playoff game, conference policy shall determine when and where the game will be resumed.)

  5. A suspended game, if resumed, will begin with the same time remaining and under the identical conditions of down, distance, field position and player eligibility. The NCAA provides detailed guidance on lightning (and other environmental hazards) in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook. Please consult the latest version of this handbook, which is available at www. NCAA.org.

Charged Team Timeouts

ARTICLE 4.

When timeouts are not exhausted, an official shall allow a charged team timeout when requested by any player or head coach when the ball is dead.

  1. Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half.

  2. After the ball is declared dead and before the snap, a legal substitute may request a timeout if he is between the nine-yard marks (A.R. 3-3-4-I).

  3. A player who participated during the previous down may request a timeout between the time the ball is declared dead and the snap without being between the nine-yard marks (A.R. 3-3-4-I).

  4. A head coach who is in, or in the vicinity of, his team area or coaching box may request a timeout between the time the ball is declared dead and the next snap.

  5. A player, incoming substitute or head coach may request a head coach’s conference with the referee, if the coach believes a rule has been enforced improperly. If the rule enforcement is not changed, the coach’s team will be charged a timeout, or a delay penalty if all timeouts have been used.

    1. Only the referee may stop the clock for a head coach’s conference.

    2. A request for a head coach’s conference or challenge must be made before the ball is snapped or free-kicked for the next play and before the end of the second or fourth period (Rules 5-2-9).

    3. After a head coach’s conference or challenge, the full team timeout is granted if charged by the referee.

Injury Timeout

ARTICLE 5.

  1. In the event of an injured player(s):

    1. An official will declare a timeout and the player(s) must leave the game. He must remain out of the game for at least one down. When in question, officials will take a timeout for an injured player.

    2. The player(s) may not return to the game until he receives approval of professional medical personnel designated by his institution.

    3. Medical personnel shall give special attention to players who exhibit signs of a concussion. (See Appendix B).

    4. Whenever a participant (player or game official) is bleeding, has blood saturated on the uniform, or has blood on exposed skin, the player or game official shall go to the team area and be given appropriate medical treatment. He may not return to the game without approval of medical personnel (A.R. 3-3-5-I-VII).

  2. To curtail a possible time-gaining advantage by feigning injuries, attention is directed to the strongly worded statement in The Football Code (Coaching Ethics).

  3. An injury timeout may follow a charged team timeout.

  4. The referee will declare a timeout for an injured official.

  5. Following a timeout for an injured player of the defensive team, the play clock shall be set at 40 seconds.

  6. If the player injury is the only reason for stopping the clock (other than his or a teammate’s helmet coming off, Rule 3-3-9) with less than one minute in the half, the opponent has the option of a 10-second runoff.

    1. The play clock will be set at 40 seconds for an injury to a player of the defensive team and at 25 seconds for an injury to a player of the offensive team (Rule 3-2-4-c-4).

    2. If there is a 10-second runoff the game clock will start on the referee’s signal. If there is no 10-second runoff the game clock will start on the snap.

    3. The 10-second runoff may be avoided by the use of a charged team timeout if available.

    4. There is no option of a 10-second runoff if there are injuries to opposing players. (A.R. 3-3-5-VIII and IX)

Violation Timeouts

ARTICLE 6.

For noncompliance with Rule 9-2-2-e, the team will be charged a timeout (Rule 3-4-2-b-2).

Length of Timeouts

ARTICLE 7.

  1. A charged full team timeout requested by any player or head coach shall not exceed one minute, 30 seconds (Exception: Rule 3-3- 4-e-3). This includes the 25-second play clock interval.

  2. For live-televised games only, a charged team timeout shall be 30 seconds plus the 25-second play clock interval. However, the head coach may request that one of the allowed three timeouts in each half be a full timeout. This request should be communicated to the referee when the timeout request is made to the officials. The charged team timeout during an extra period (Rule 3-1- 3-h) may be a full timeout, at the request of the head coach.

  3. In other than live-televised games, the head coach may request that any charged team timeout be 30 seconds in duration, plus the 25-second play clock interval. The head coach indicates this request visually by touching his hands to his shoulders. The signal must be made promptly after the timeout is requested.

  4. Other timeouts shall be not longer than the referee deems necessary to fulfill the purpose for which they are declared, including a radio or TV timeout, but any timeout may be extended by the referee for the benefit of an injured player (Refer to Appendix A for the guidelines for game officials to use during a serious on-field player injury).

  5. If the team charged with a one-minute, 30-second team timeout wishes to resume play before the expiration of one minute and its opponent indicates readiness, the referee will declare the ball ready for play.

  6. The length of a referee’s timeout depends on the circumstances of each timeout.

  7. Penalty options must be exercised before a team timeout.

  8. The intermission after a safety, try or successful field goal shall be not more than one minute. It may be extended for radio or television.

Referee’s Notification

ARTICLE 8.

During a full team timeout (Rule 3-3-7-a) the referee shall notify both teams after one minute. Five seconds later he shall declare the ball ready for play. During a 30-second team timeout (Rule 3-3-7-b, c) the referee shall notify both teams after 30 seconds. Five seconds later he shall declare the ball ready for play.

  1. When a third timeout is charged to a team in either half, the referee shall notify the field captain and head coach of that team.

  2. Unless a visual game clock is the official timepiece, the referee also shall inform each field captain and head coach when approximately two minutes of playing time remain in each half. He may order the clock stopped for that purpose.

    1. The play-clock count is not interrupted.

    2. The clock starts on the snap after the two-minute notification.

  3. If a visual game clock is not the official timing device during the last two minutes of each half, the referee or his representative shall notify each captain and head coach of the time remaining each time the clock is stopped by rule. Also, a representative may leave the team area along the limit line to relay timing information under these conditions.

Helmet Comes Off—​Timeout

ARTICLE 9.

  1. If a player’s helmet comes completely off through play, other than as the direct result of a foul by an opponent, the player must leave the game for the next down. The game clock will stop at the end of the down. The player may remain in the game if his team is granted a charged timeout.

  2. When the helmet coming off is the only reason for stopping the clock, other than due to an injury to the player or his teammate (Rule 3-3-5), the following conditions apply (A.R. 3-3-9-I-III):

    1. The play clock will be set at 25 seconds if the player is on offense and at 40 seconds if the player is on defense. With one minute or more remaining in either half, the game clock will start on the referee’s signal.

    2. If there is less than one minute in the half the opponent has the option of a 10-second runoff, unless the helmet comes off as the direct result of a foul by the opponent.

    3. If there is a 10-second runoff the game clock will start on the referee’s signal. If there is no 10-second runoff the game clock will start on the snap.

    4. The 10-second runoff may be avoided by the use of a charged team timeout, if available.

    5. There is no option for a 10-second runoff if helmets come off opposing players. (A.R. 3-3-9-V)

  3. If the ball carrier’s helmet comes off as in paragraph a (above) the ball is dead (Rule 4-1-3-q). If the player is not the ball carrier the ball remains alive, but he must not continue to participate in the play beyond the imme-diate action in which he is engaged. Prolonged participation is a personal foul (Rule 9-1-17). By definition such a player is obviously out of the play (Rule 9-1-12-b).

  4. A player who intentionally removes his helmet during the down commits a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct (Rule 9-2-1-a-1-i).

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