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Expert: Thom Brooks - 10/21/2009
Question
When both play clocks on the field (40 and 25 second), who is responsible for resetting the clock? My colleagues tell me that it has to be an official on the field who triggers the device to reset the clock. My feeling is that there is game management in the press box who reset the play clock at the signal from the referee and another member of the game management who keeps the official time in the pressbox. From my past experiences from officiating football, the only time the play clock is kept on the field is if there are no or a non-functioning play clock and the only time the game clock is kept on the field is when there is a malfunction with the electronic game clock on the field. Please let me know so I can get this straight with my colleagues.
Answer
Terry, hello!
The white hat is the Referee. The Electronic Clock Operator is the official in the Press Box in charge of starting and stopping the clock. The ECO is directed by the Referee's signals on the field. The Back Judge times the 25 second "Ready for Play" whistle by the Referee. Whoever starts and stops the 25 second clock does so at the direction of the Referee. The Referee controls the clock. If the clocks get out of sync, he gives the command to correct the clock. The Official time is kept by the officials on the field when and if there is any malfunction.
Sometimes you see the players continue to play until the whistle blows, but the official may have already seen the play as being dead before the whistle blows. If the knee is down or forward progress is stopped, the ball would be dead and placed at that spot even though the clock continues to run or the whistle has not yet been blown. It's an art, but not a perfected science, so the clocks do not always run as the fans would prefer.
Yes, the play clock can be set from the press box or from the field by the referee's command. I have attached the rules for the NCAA for reference.
Take Care,
Thom Brooks
BrooksInsuranceSchool.com
Please review the following websites. The first one is my youngest son's band!
Listen2Three.com
Official Web Site of the NCAA
ncaa.org/library/rules/2006/2006_football_rules.pdf
REFEREE, the Magazine for Sports Officials
National Association of Sports Officials
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