Explain Rule change. #8 - Makes actions to conserve time illegal after the two-minute warning

[The Brandon Five]

I'm guessing the following 10-second runoff rules which used to apply only in the last minute now apply to the last 2 minutes:

1. A foul by either team that prevents the ball from being snapped
2. Intentional grounding
3. Illegal forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage
4. Throwing a backwards pass out of bounds
5. Spiking or throwing the ball away after a down (unless after a touchdown)
6. Any other intentional act that causes the clock to stop

Ya lost me there. Teams spike the ball to stop the clock all the time. I have never seen it penalized inside the last minute (example: Super Bowl 36).

 

[bbobbo]

Ya lost me there. Teams spike the ball to stop the clock all the time. I have never seen it penalized inside the last minute (example: Super Bowl 36).

the important part is "after a down has ended". that usually leads to a u̶n̶s̶p̶o̶r̶t̶s̶m̶a̶n̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ delay of game penalty, which a team might be willing to take in order to stop the clock. this rule basically says that you get the penalty, and you get a 10-second runoff if it's after the two-minute warning.

edit: fixed "unsportsmanlike conduct" to "delay of game"
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e

 

[XLIX]

Article 3 states that a defensive foul prior to the snap and within the last 40 seconds of a half ends the half. And ends the game if it is in the second half. There's nothing written in the rule that indicates that the officials are supposed to make a judgment call as to whether this was intentional and/or to the advantage of the team on defense. It just states it as an automatic fact, regardless of the circumstances. A rule needs to have all of the circumstances written into the rule.

Yes but it also says the offense can decide to have the clock start at the snap. So the refs don't need to judge if it was done deliberately; the offense can choose to end the half/game or merely stop the clock until the next snap.

I think that's one of the things people don't seem to realize about all these automatic clock runoffs. The non-offending team can choose to accept the penalty and simultaneously decline the runoff if they so choose. So you can't use deliberate penalties to run down the clock between plays.

 

[The Brandon Five]

the important part is "after a down has ended". that usually leads to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which a team might be willing to take in order to stop the clock. this rule basically says that you get the penalty, and you get a 10-second runoff if it's after the two-minute warning.
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Ok, so 1st down ends. They rush to the line for 2nd down and spike the ball. What am I missing?

 

[bbobbo]

Ok, so 1st down ends. They rush to the line for 2nd down and spike the ball. What am I missing?

no, this is before the referee signals that the ball is ready for play. in between plays.

think of when a receiver catches the ball, but it's not a touchdown, and then spikes it in celebration. that's a u̶n̶s̶p̶o̶r̶t̶s̶m̶a̶n̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ delay of game penalty and the clock stops.

now say time is running out, a receiver makes a big play but doesn't get out of bounds. he can't spike the ball for the intentional u̶n̶s̶p̶o̶r̶t̶s̶m̶a̶n̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ delay of game penalty to stop the clock. or, he can, but there will be a 10-second runoff of the clock.
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edit: actually, it's a delay of game penalty, not unsportsmanlike conduct

 

[XLIX]

Ok, so 1st down ends. They rush to the line for 2nd down and spike the ball. What am I missing?

Rushing to the line to spike the ball - which is really technically just an incomplete pass - is fine. It's when a player gets tackled and immediately spikes the ball or otherwise delays the officials from spotting the ball and marking it ready for play.

Presumably this applies to the defense as well, preventing them from using techniques such as "swatting" the ball away to slow down the referees from spotting it and marking it ready for the next snap.