40 seconds clock
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:27 am
New play clock rules
A new clock rule will be used for football games this season. Following the advice of the national federation, the 25-second play clock will be expanded to 40 seconds. The change is an effort to bring more consistency to the start and stoppage of the play clock.
Under the new rule, the 40-second clock will begin when the previous play ends. In the past, the play clock did not begin until the referee whistled the ball in play, and the variance as to when that happened was a concern.
“Some officials started the clock fairly quickly while some others took a little more time to start the clock,” SCHSL assistant commissioner Charlie Wentzky said. “This will make it more uniform and consistent. The average fan watching the game probably won’t notice the change.”
Wentzky said the new rule will likely not speed up the game itself. The game clock will still stop on out-of-bounds plays, incomplete passes, first downs and penalties.
A new clock rule will be used for football games this season. Following the advice of the national federation, the 25-second play clock will be expanded to 40 seconds. The change is an effort to bring more consistency to the start and stoppage of the play clock.
Under the new rule, the 40-second clock will begin when the previous play ends. In the past, the play clock did not begin until the referee whistled the ball in play, and the variance as to when that happened was a concern.
“Some officials started the clock fairly quickly while some others took a little more time to start the clock,” SCHSL assistant commissioner Charlie Wentzky said. “This will make it more uniform and consistent. The average fan watching the game probably won’t notice the change.”
Wentzky said the new rule will likely not speed up the game itself. The game clock will still stop on out-of-bounds plays, incomplete passes, first downs and penalties.
