What would you do?

[flngrvy]

Your team is leading by 7, it's 3rd down and 10 on your opponents 45 yard line. They have no timeouts left. You have decided to punt and let your defense hold on for the win. The clock is running and there is under two minutes to play.........do you (1) run another play and let the clock continue to run down, take a delay of game on 4th down and then punt? or (2) go ahead and take your delay of game penalty on third down which stops the clock at 1:57 to go and punt on 4th down?

 

My take is you never, never give up 3rd down to a delay of game. Run the ball with two seconds on the play clock, line up for the punt and take your delay on 4th down which takes the clock to 1:20 or less, then rely on your defense.

[flngrvy]

Opinions please!!!

[CrosseyedCat]

Depends on if your home or away.......if your home, in some places, the clock operator will handle it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[robjim]

Depends on if your home or away.......if your home, in some places, the clock operator will handle it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!       

825346539[/snapback]

 

First of all, it doesn't matter in TSSAA football games about a "home" clock. A TSSAA official is running the clock, he/she is part of the group of officials. Now in basketball it's different. The home team provides an operator, who is not part of the official's team. In football, the official clock is kept on the field, if the hand control is working. If the hand control does not work, then the official comes up into the pressbox and runs the clock from there. If the scoreboard is out, we had this problem at the Riverdale/CPA game due to lightening hitting the scoreboard the night before, then the official time keeper uses a stop-watch on the field.

 

flngrvy, I agree with your clock management for that situation. Only change I could see if it was a rainy night, like Thursday, and you might conside punting on third down, in case of your punter fumbles, he would have a second chance on 4th down, assuming he recovered his fumble.

[Antwan]

Your team is leading by 7, it's 3rd down and 10 on your opponents 45 yard line.  They have no timeouts left.  You have decided to punt and let your defense hold on for the win.  The clock is running and there is under two minutes to play.........do you (1)  run another play and let the clock continue to run down, take a delay of game on 4th down and then punt? or (2) go ahead and take your delay of game penalty on third down which stops the clock at 1:57 to go and punt on 4th down?

 

My take is you never, never give up 3rd down to a delay of game.  Run the ball with two seconds on the play clock, line up for the punt and take your delay on 4th down which takes the clock to 1:20 or less, then rely on your defense.

825346491[/snapback]

 

I would run a "safe play" on third down and maybe get lucky and get the 1st down. If you get that 1st down...it's a moot point. If I didn't get the 1st down...if I had a good punter...I would then take a delay of game penalty then to get more room to try to down in inside the 20.

[basketballisbest]

Go for the first down without risking a turnover. Then punt if the first down is not achieved. I think you always make the attempt to go for the first down. If you make it, then the other team is done.

[MaC RHS]

On third down run the play clock inside of 5 secs, a little hard to do at most hs fields as there usually isnt a visable play clock on the field, run the ball straight up the gut. If no first down take the delay of game. Put the fastest player on your team into punt, snap the ball to him and let him run into the endzone and stand thee until the defense gets close to him then let him take a knee for a saftey. Punt the ball away on the free kick, leaving your opponet only about a min. If your defense can't keep them out of the endzone with a min to go you dont deserve to win.

[WSCC91]

Your team is leading by 7, it's 3rd down and 10 on your opponents 45 yard line.  They have no timeouts left.  You have decided to punt and let your defense hold on for the win.  The clock is running and there is under two minutes to play.........do you (1)  run another play and let the clock continue to run down, take a delay of game on 4th down and then punt? or (2) go ahead and take your delay of game penalty on third down which stops the clock at 1:57 to go and punt on 4th down?

 

My take is you never, never give up 3rd down to a delay of game.  Run the ball with two seconds on the play clock, line up for the punt and take your delay on 4th down which takes the clock to 1:20 or less, then rely on your defense.

825346491[/snapback]

 

 

The other thing to know is that it is the ref's discretion as to whether to start the clock back or not. In my second year coaching we were in this situation at the end of a game and the other team took a delay. They marked off the five and restarted the clock. I went nuts but did find out later that he was well within the rules restarting the clock. I also found out the true meaning of a "homer"

[Antwan]

The other thing to know is that it is the ref's discretion as to whether to start the clock back or not. In my second year coaching we were in this situation at the end of a game and the other team took a delay. They marked off the five and restarted the clock. I went nuts but did find out later that he was well within the rules restarting the clock. I also found out the true meaning of a "homer"

825346619[/snapback]

 

That's not right...if it were you could keep taking delays until the clock ran out.

[Antwan]

On third down run the play clock inside of 5 secs, a little hard to do at most hs fields as there usually isnt a visable play clock on the field, run the ball straight up the gut.  If no first down take the delay of game.  Put the fastest player on your team into punt, snap the ball to him and let him run into the endzone and stand thee until the defense gets close to him then let him take a knee for a saftey.  Punt the ball away on the free kick, leaving your opponet only about a min.  If your defense can't keep them out of the endzone with a min to go you dont deserve to win.

825346618[/snapback]

 

Your team is leading by 7, it's 3rd down and 10 on your opponents 45 yard line.

 

That dude had better be fast to run 55 yards into his own end zone.

[WSCC91]

That's not right...if it were you could keep taking delays until the clock ran out.

825346904[/snapback]

 

That was my arguement exactly (of course I was in the middle of the field with no timeout) but I had a friend who is a referee that pointed out that although he was wrong for doing it to me, he was well within the rules. It is designed to speed up play during the game from what I understand.

[swanson71]

I would take a time out right before a delay of game...then punt it...but if you have no time outs...I would take a delay of game and punt it...