Announcers and the out of bounds rule - grrr

[BoulderSooner79]

I'll confess that I don't know the exact wording of the rule on the game clock and a player going out of bounds. But most announcers don't seem to know it at all. At least half a dozen times across multiple games last weekend, announcers were saying a kid should try to get out of bounds to save the clock. But outside 2 minutes left, the clock only pauses on an out of bounds play and then both game and play clock restart. The pause seems even shorter than the one after a first down, so it really doesn't save much. It's obvious the announcers seem to think the clock will stop as it does inside 2 minutes or on an incomplete pass (i.e. until the next snap).

What is the exact rule? What causes the clock to restart - is it spotting the ball or resetting the chains as it is on a 1st down? Does th 2 minute rule apply to both halves or just the end of regulation?

[pac10SUX]

That kind of annoyed me as well.

I think you got it. My understanding is that the clock stops on an OOB play long enough to set the football. In the last 2 minutes of each half, the clock fully stops as long as the play is fully completed with 2 or less minutes. Its a little shorter clock stopage than a 1st down (due to spotting the ball as well as moving the chains).

I hope the announcers are thinking get OOB to save a few seconds maybe?

[BoulderSooner79]

That kind of annoyed me as well.

I think you got it. My understanding is that the clock stops on an OOB play long enough to set the football. In the last 2 minutes of each half, the clock fully stops as long as the play is fully completed with 2 or less minutes. Its a little shorter clock stopage than a 1st down (due to spotting the ball as well as moving the chains).

I hope the announcers are thinking get OOB to save a few seconds maybe?

Not in the context that I'm talking about. These games had between 5-8 minutes left and the team with the ball was down by ~10. In the annoying cases I'm talking about, the announcer clearly thinks a lot of time will be saved. I'm watching the clock, and it usually restarts before the player can even get back onto the field from out of bounds, so the pause doesn't buy anything at all. This rule change is at least 2 seasons old, so they should know it by now.

[TUSooner]

At least it stops for a few more seconds.
It's the media: They exaggerate everything! :)

[AlbqSooner]

This rule change is at least 2 seasons old, so they should know it by now.

What? You think they are getting PAID to do that job or something?;)

[prrriiide]

Rule 3-3-2-d:




d. Starts on the Snap. For each of the following, the game clock is stopped.
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-VI).
4. A forward pass is ruled incomplete.
5. A team is granted a charged timeout (A.R. 3-3-4-I-IV).
6. The ball becomes illegal.
7. Violation of a rule for mandatory equipment (Rule 1-4-4) or illegal
equipment (Rule 1-4-5).

8. A legal kick down ends.
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


http://www.ncaapublications.com/Uploads/PDF/Football_Rules_5_2204c0005d-845f-4813-8391-54f15136079d.pdf

[Crucifax Autumn]

News Flash:

Announcers are generally complete knuckle dragging idiots. In the rare exceptions where they are not complete idiots, they are merely semi-literate morons.

[ouwapiti]

News Flash:

Announcers are generally complete knuckle dragging idiots. In the rare exceptions where they are not complete idiots, they are merely semi-literate morons.

i.e. musberger

[TUSooner]

My often repeated gripe about announcers: I hate it when the color analyst, usually a former player with a limited command of the English language and an inflated opinion of his expertise, says that a leaping receiver or d-back “caught the ball at its highest point.” That’s just impossible. Unless it’s a really, really, really, short pass, like a shovel pass, the maximum height of a ball during a pass play is 15 to 40 feet or even more, depending on the length of the play and the arc of the throw. In any event, it is very much higher than any football player has ever jumped during a game on Earth. I think the semi-literate announcer means that the receiver or d-back caught the ball “at the highest point of his jump.” So why doesn’t he just say that?

[Snyder Cyclone]

Been coaching fb for over 30 years and I think these are extremely sorry rules. I think college fb had the better rules between them and the NFL, but I think there in no incentives to make first downs as before and if the guy gets out of bounds, good gosh they should stop the clock until the next snap. Keep the rules we had and quit negatively effecting the strategies of college football !

[SoCal]

We can thank TV for these rule changes. They wanted the games shorter to fit in their time slots...final result...more commercials!

[meoveryouxinfinity]

My often repeated gripe about announcers: I hate it when the color analyst, usually a former player with a limited command of the English language and an inflated opinion of his expertise, says that a leaping receiver or d-back “caught the ball at its highest point.” That’s just impossible. Unless it’s a really, really, really, short pass, like a shovel pass, the maximum height of a ball during a pass play is 15 to 40 feet or even more, depending on the length of the play and the arc of the throw. In any event, it is very much higher than any football player has ever jumped during a game on Earth. I think the semi-literate announcer means that the receiver or d-back caught the ball “at the highest point of his jump.” So why doesn’t he just say that?

Ok Galileo :-P

[BoulderSooner79]

How about the phrase on a missed XP? "That may come back to haunt them". Some announcers just cannot resist that one and I don't understand how a missed XP is going to result in mysterious chain rattling from the attic. If the point does play a role later in the game, they act like they are the great prognosticator. If it doesn't, they forget they ever said it.

[Collier11]

My favorite is this one, "I bet he is wishing he hadnt banged that fat cheerleader the other night now"

What kind of arrogance is that!?

[ouwapiti]

My favorite is this one, "I bet he is wishing he hadnt banged that fat cheerleader the other night now"

What kind of arrogance is that!?

this, evidently, only happens at texas tech????

[TopDawg]

My often repeated gripe about announcers: I hate it when the color analyst, usually a former player with a limited command of the English language and an inflated opinion of his expertise, says that a leaping receiver or d-back “caught the ball at its highest point.” That’s just impossible. Unless it’s a really, really, really, short pass, like a shovel pass, the maximum height of a ball during a pass play is 15 to 40 feet or even more, depending on the length of the play and the arc of the throw. In any event, it is very much higher than any football player has ever jumped during a game on Earth. I think the semi-literate announcer means that the receiver or d-back caught the ball “at the highest point of his jump.” So why doesn’t he just say that?

Get out of my head.

Almost a year ago on a different message board I started a thread called "Goes and gets the ball at its highest point." and wrote the following:


Stupid announcers, quit saying that. Stop it!

It should be "Goes and gets the ball at HIS highest point." The player is catching the ball at the highest point of his jump, not at the highest point of the ball's flight. This is most commonly said on passes that are lobbed (long passes or fade routes in the red zone). On almost all of those passes, the ball's highest point is at least 15 feet. Let me know if a player ever goes and gets it at its highest point.

Great minds, TU...great minds.

[TopDawg]

On a side note...next time I'm doing color for a football game, I'm going to heed your advice and say "He went and got the ball at its highest point" on a shovel pass.

[BoulderSooner79]

And the receiver doesn't even need to get the ball at *his* highest point - he just needs to get it higher than the defenders highest point. ;)