a. With the game clock running and any time after the Two-Minute Timeout in the 2nd or 4th quarters, before a change of team possession if either team commits a foul that causes the clock to stop immediately and the penalty for that foul is accepted, the referee will subtract 10 seconds from the game clock at the option of the offended team. The fouls that fall in this category include but are not limited to:
1. Any foul that prevents the snap (e.g., false start, encroachment, defensive offside by contact in the neutral zone, etc.);
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 III. Team A is leading 24-21 with less than one minute in the game and the game clock running. With the ball ready for play on third and seven at the B-35, tackle B55 jumps across the neutral zone and contacts A77. The officials shut the play down with the game clock showing 0:38. Team B is out of timeouts. RULING: Offside against Team B. Five-yard penalty and a 10-second runoff from the game clock. The game clock is set at 0:28. Third and two at the B-30. The clock starts on the referee’s signal.
2. Intentional grounding to stop the clock; 3. Incomplete illegal forward pass; 4. Backward pass thrown out of bounds to stop the clock; 5. Any other foul committed with the intent of stopping the clock.
The offended team may accept the yardage penalty and decline the 10-second runoff. If the yardage penalty is declined the 10-second runoff is declined by rule.
b. The 10-second rule does not apply if the game clock is not running when the foul occurs or if the foul does not cause the game clock to stop immediately (e.g., illegal formation). c. After the penalty is administered, if there is a 10-second runoff, the game clock starts on the referee’s signal. If there is no 10-second runoff, the game clock starts on the snap. Note: This rule supersedes Rule 3-3-2f.
Approved Ruling 3-3-2 VIII. Third and five at the B-15 late in the fourth quarter, with Team A trailing 10-7. Quarterback A11 rolls out and is at the B-12 when he throws a forward pass that is incomplete. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:13. Team B accepts the penalty for the illegal forward pass. RULING: Fourth and seven at the B-17. Team B has the option for a 10-second runoff. Assuming that Team B accepts the runoff, the game clock is set at 0:03 and starts on the referee’s signal.
Approved Ruling 3-3-2 IX. Second and seven at the A-5 late in the second quarter. Quarterback A11 drops back to pass and is scrambling in his end zone as he tries to find an open receiver. About to be tackled in the end zone, A11 throws the ball forward to the ground in an area where there are no eligible receivers. The referee throws a flag for intentional grounding. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:18. Team B accepts the penalty. RULING: The penalty results in a safety, and Team A will free kick at the A-20. Team B has the option for a 10-second runoff. If Team B accepts the runoff, the game clock is set at 0:08 and starts on the referee’s signal. If Team B declines the runoff, the game clock remains at 0:18 and starts when the kicked ball is legally touched in the field of play.
d. If the fouling team has a timeout remaining they may avoid the 10-second runoff by using a timeout. In this case the game clock starts on the snap after the timeout. e. The 10-second runoff does not apply when there are offsetting fouls.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 IV. Fourth quarter with the game clock running. Second and five at the B-20. Tackle B77 is in the neutral zone at the snap, but does not make contact. QB A12 rolls out to pass, runs to the B-17 and throws a forward pass, which falls incomplete. The game clock reads 0:15. RULING: Team A illegal forward pass and Team B offside. Offsetting fouls. No 10-second runoff. Second and 5 at the B-20. The game clock remains at 15 seconds and starts on the snap.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 I. Second and 10 at the B-30. The game clock is running in the second half. Team A trails by two points and is out of timeouts. After the ball is ready for play lineman A66 commits a false start, and when the officials stop the game clock it reads (a) 13 seconds; (b) 8 seconds. Team B accepts the yardage penalty and the clock runoff. RULING: (a) Five-yard penalty with 10 seconds subtracted from the game clock, which is set at 3 seconds. Second and 15 at the B-35. The clock starts on the referee’s signal. (b) The game is over. Team B wins.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 II. Second and 10 at the B-30. The game clock is running in the second half. Team A trails by two points and is out of timeouts. At the snap Team A has five players in the backfield. A22 carries for a three-yard gain to the B-27. When the ball is declared dead the game clock reads (a) 13 seconds; (b) 8 seconds. RULING: (a) and (b) Five-yard penalty, illegal formation. Second and 15 at the B-35. Because the illegal formation is not a foul that causes the clock to stop immediately, the 10-second runoff does not apply. After the penalty is administered the game clock starts on the referee’s signal.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 V. Second and 10 at the B-30 with the game clock running. Team A trails in the score. Guard A66 in a three-point stance misses the snap count and lurches forward, committing a false start. B77 then commits a dead-ball personal foul or a dead-ball foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The game clock is stopped with 8 seconds remaining in the game. This occurs (a) in the fourth quarter; (b) in the second quarter. RULING: (a) The game is over because Team B will accept the 10-second runoff associated with the false start. Thus the penalty for B77’s dead-ball foul is not enforced. (b) The half is over because Team B will accept the 10-second runoff associated with the false start. The penalty for the Team B dead-ball foul carries over to the second half. Due to the 10-second runoff, by interpretation the Team B dead-ball foul effectively occurs after the half has ended and the penalty is thus carried over. In either (a) or (b) Team A may avoid the 10-second runoff by using an available charged timeout. In that case the penalty for the foul by B77 would be enforced, giving Team A first and 10 at the B-20 after enforcement of both penalties.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 VI. Second quarter with the score tied. At the snap the game clock reads 0:45. During the play, A55 loses his helmet. Right tackle A77 is flagged for holding. The ball carrier is tackled inbounds short of the line to gain. RULING: A55 must leave the game for one play. There is no option for a 10-second runoff, because at the end of the play the clock is stopped both for the helmet off and to administer the holding penalty. The play clock is set to 25 seconds and the game clock starts on the Referee’s signal or snap at the option of the offended team. (Rule 3-3-10)
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 VII. 3/5 @ B-15 late in the fourth quarter, with Team A trailing 10-7. Quarterback A11 rolls out and is at the B-12 when he throws a forward pass that is incomplete. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:13. Team B accepts the penalty for the illegal forward pass. RULING: Fourth and seven at the B-17. Team B has the option for a 10-second runoff. Assuming that Team B accepts the runoff, the game clock is set at 0:03 and starts on the referee’s signal.
Approved Ruling 3-4-4 VIII. 2/7 @ A-5 late in the second quarter. Quarterback A11 drops back to pass and is scrambling in his end zone as he tries to find an open receiver. About to be tackled in the end zone, A11 throws the ball forward to the ground in an area where there are no eligible receivers. The referee throws a flag for intentional grounding. When the ball is dead the game clock shows 0:18. Team B accepts the penalty. RULING: The penalty results in a safety, and Team A will free kick at the A-20. Team B has the option for a 10-second runoff. If Team B accepts the runoff, the game clock is set at 0:08 and starts on the referee’s signal. If Team B declines the runoff, the game clock remains at 0:18 and starts when the kicked ball is legally touched in the field of play.
