Music City Bowl and clock operation

[Dawg4Life]

I have been watching football like a crazy person for the last 30 years. For the life of me, I cannot understand stopping/starting the clock late in games with respect to out of bounds and penalty situations. Years ago when a person went out of bounds, the damn clock stopped. Now it has to do with "forward progress." So please explain this scenario: OM has a ball carrier knocked out of bounds with 3:21 left on the clock. It brings up 3rd and 3. After a few seconds the clock starts back (WTH?). The game clock (25 seconds) will force play to begin on or before 2:49. OM snaps the ball with exactly 3:00 left to play. A flag is thrown for a false start, which is a dead ball foul. The clock, because the play is allowed to run for 4 seconds, now sits at 2:56. HERE is where it gets more interesting. The clock starts to run BEFORE the ball is snapped on 3rd and 8. So OM benefits from the clock running after a flag was thrown on them. With the play clock, the ball doesn't have to be snapped prior to 2:31. So let me reiterate this...OM runs out of bounds with 3:21...one penalty later they benefit from an additional 25 seconds running off of the clock and is allowed to snap the ball on or about 2:31 left on the clock.

My question is this: When running out the clock, why not always jump offsides at the last minute? You'll benefit from the additional runoff plus the delay in the start of the play till the whistle blows. Oh and by the way, OM got another penalty after that 3rd and 8 which allowed another second to run off of the clock. I'm sure I'm being a dumbass but this has to change. Imagine running out of bounds, having 2 false starts and getting one minute to run off of the clock! Fire away...

[BeastMan]

I saw the same scenario and was confused. I was wondering how an offensive team with the lead can actually help their cause running clock by an offensive penalty. I was wondering if it was a blunder or if that is the current rule. It wouldn't have mattered b/c GT is terrible throwing the football but that same situation piqued my interest as well

[bully99]

They changed the clock rules a number of years ago to speed up the game. Used to be every incomplete pass, out of bounds, and penalty stopped the clock until the next snap. Except for incomplete passes, the clock starts on the ball set. White hat winds his arm to start the game clock.

[Where'sWaldo]

If they started the clock back after the penalty and before the snap that was a mistake by the clock operator.

The current rules are as follows:
Player down in bounds and short of the first down--Clock runs continuously.
Player down out of bounds---Clock pauses until the chains are moved and the official winds the clock.
First down- Same as above
Incomplete- Clock stops until the next snap

[BeastMan]

They did Waldo. Shocked that Paul Johnson wasn't losing his mind over it

[sandwolf]

I am pretty sure that if you get out of bounds when there is less than 2 minutes left in either half, the clock stops until the next snap (just like an incomplete pass). And during the rest of the game, the clock stops only until the referee signals for it to be restarted.

[bully99]

Yes you are correct, the last 2 minutes of each half. Changed the rule in 2008 I think.