Do Not Help Coaches with Clock Timing

In high school football, we work with either a 25-second or 40-second play clock. Late in a half, when the game clock is winding down, coaches will sometimes ask the referee to confirm whether the game clock will expire based on how much time is left, the down number, and the number of timeouts remaining for each team.

Don’t do it.

As officials, it is not our job to do the math for the coach. Trying to calculate scenarios — how many snaps remain, how long a play will take, or how the clock will run after a timeout — only creates risk. If you are wrong, the coach will hold you responsible, and you’ve put yourself in the middle of a strategic decision that belongs to the coach, not the officials.

Your role is to facilitate the game, not to manage clock strategy.

You can confirm the current game clock and play clock status when asked, but do not speculate about whether time will expire. You can inform the coach if the game clock will start on the ready for play or the snap. You can remind the coach that the back judge will put his hand in the air with 10 seconds remaining on the play clock and will chop the final 5 seconds.

A safe response is: “Coach, the clock shows 42 seconds, the game clock will start on the snap. You have one timeout left. Your opponent has two timeouts remaining.” Period. Nothing more.

Coaches are responsible for deciding whether to stop the clock, spike the ball, kneel, or use their timeouts. That’s their strategy, not ours.

Bottom Line

Don’t help coaches with clock timing. Stick to enforcing the rules and managing the game. By staying out of clock predictions, you protect yourself and your crew from unnecessary conflict and keep the focus where it belongs — on officiating the action on the field.