Sound a horn when play clock expires

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Why not just light up the outside of the clock in red or something - if the red hits before the ball is snapped - delay of game. 

[Gugny]

The train horn would sound great!

[Big Turk]

15 hours ago, Utah John said:

The NFL has this strange procedure for calling delay of game penalties when the play clock expires.  Sometimes it seems a QB will have a full extra second, but not always. 

 

With all the high-resolution technology available for almost everything else, why use this subjective approach?  When the play clock expires, sound a horn (like in basketball) and have lights on the sidelines go on, so no one can mistake when the snap is late. This seems like a very easy, and fair, way to go.  

 

I'm much more interested in why there are never "forward motion" penalties against WRs at the snap when they go in motion since when you watch games 80% of the time time the player is angling toward the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball. Those are penalties but they are never called.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Big Turk

[Warriorspikes51]

15 hours ago, Utah John said:

The NFL has this strange procedure for calling delay of game penalties when the play clock expires.  Sometimes it seems a QB will have a full extra second, but not always. 

 

With all the high-resolution technology available for almost everything else, why use this subjective approach?  When the play clock expires, sound a horn (like in basketball) and have lights on the sidelines go on, so no one can mistake when the snap is late. This seems like a very easy, and fair, way to go.  

 

I want royalties! This was my idea that I posted weeks ago! 

[skibum]

I think the league just prefers to be lenient about late snaps. Fewer penalties keeps things moving, and I think it also helps mitigate an aspect of home field advantage (crowd noise) that borders on unfair. 

[Zag20]

59 minutes ago, davetra said:

I don't think this is ridiculous.  It's a valid concern.  If the Dolphins convert a 4th and 8 to get into field goal range to win the game against us with 15 seconds left, but snapped the ball 1 second after the play clock ran out, you would be pretty pissed they were not set back 5 yards instead.  No exploding balls.  In the year 2023, we should be able to notify the ref in some way where he doesnt have to take his eye off the ball.  

Exactly. See: Texans 3rd and 18 conversion in the playoffs a few years ago. 

[ControllerOfPlanetX]

What difference does it make ?
 

This horn will always malfunction in Foxboro..….and the Chiefs will always get 2 3rd downs regardless….

[Saxum]

16 hours ago, Utah John said:

The NFL has this strange procedure for calling delay of game penalties when the play clock expires.  Sometimes it seems a QB will have a full extra second, but not always. 

 

With all the high-resolution technology available for almost everything else, why use this subjective approach?  When the play clock expires, sound a horn (like in basketball) and have lights on the sidelines go on, so no one can mistake when the snap is late. This seems like a very easy, and fair, way to go.  

 

Don't forget sensors on wires for cameras and such.  Ball hit one but no visible evidence it happening other than change in trajectory of ball.

[Buffalo Boy]

15 hours ago, Simon said:

The repeated pearl clutching over 1 meaningless second of game time never ceases to amaze me.

Do we really give a ***** about this?

If the nose of the ball is a centimeter short of the line to gain , shouldn’t the offense be given a first down anyway?🤷‍♂️

[colin]

so i can't believe this hasn't been mentioned, but the reason why this is a problem is it gives the O an advantage and stops the D from timing the snap when the clock is nearly out.

 

if it was a hard penalty at 0 seconds, then the O has to be more honestly about when they snap, getting lined up and set sooner, and less room to audible, and it gives the D a real shot at timing the clock as well as the snap count.

[JMM]

A BILLION dollar industry can't afford to install buzzers like the NBA does!! C'MON! Next you'll be saying they shouldn't be using chains for measuring critical first downs!!!

[Donuts and Doritos]

Times up MOFOS!

 

 

 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

3 hours ago, NoSaint said:

and if the fraction of the second was meaningful and unevenly enforced I’d be right there with you. 

Just gotta look at the Dolphins game.

 

Multiple times while MIA was on offense, the play clock went to zero and was there for 2-3 seconds after.
 

More than a fraction of a second and unevenly enforced in favor of MIA. 

[iccrewman112]

14 hours ago, stevewin said:

The NFL woould say that sound travels slower than light so they need to give an extra second after the clock expires for the sound to hit the ref's ear drums

should just buy them with a slight electrical current.

[Simon]

2 hours ago, davetra said:

f the Dolphins convert a 4th and 8 to get into field goal range to win the game against us with 15 seconds left, but snapped the ball 1 second after the play clock ran out, you would be pretty pissed they were not set back 5 yards instead.

 

No, I'd be pretty pissed that we gave up a 4th/8 to lose a game and wouldn't care less that it happened one second later.

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, davetra said:

I don't think this is ridiculous.  It's a valid concern.  If the Dolphins convert a 4th and 8 to get into field goal range to win the game against us with 15 seconds left, but snapped the ball 1 second after the play clock ran out, you would be pretty pissed they were not set back 5 yards instead.  No exploding balls.  In the year 2023, we should be able to notify the ref in some way where he doesnt have to take his eye off the ball.  

This is not brain surgery. Technologically you could simply have a special vibrating pager type device in the chief refs pocket set to go off at the exact instant the clock hits zero. He doesn't have to visually align the snap with the clock. They can easily do this they're just lazy and want to keep it subjective to move the game along.  Perera and Blandino have said this before.

[Fleezoid]

Why has this suddenly become a problem? I've been watching football for decades, like many here, and before this season, when the clock hits zeros, flag out whistle blows. it was fairly rare that it was missed. I don't get it. I just don't get it!!

[WhoTom]

16 hours ago, I am the egg man said:

…..just not a train horn.

 

For some reason I’ve developed an aversion to them.

 

A train horn was the first thing I thought of when I read the thread title.

 

Personally, I've developed an aversion to the guy yelling "Thiiiiiiirrrrrd doooooooooowwwwwn!"

 

[davetra]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

No, I'd be pretty pissed that we gave up a 4th/8 to lose a game and wouldn't care less that it happened one second later.

So, you wouldn't care if they missed a false start on that same play?  Sometimes it's only a twitch. Or an illegal formation? Sometimes it's only Inches off the line.

Why should 1 second be any different?  I'd be mad they gave up a 4th and 8 too.  But every team is supposed to get a specific time to get the play off.  if they don't its a penalty.  The 4th and 8 should have never happened.  

[Simon]

36 minutes ago, davetra said:

So, you wouldn't care if they missed a false start on that same play?  Sometimes it's only a twitch. Or an illegal formation? Sometimes it's only Inches off the line.

Why should 1 second be any different?  I'd be mad they gave up a 4th and 8 too.  But every team is supposed to get a specific time to get the play off.  if they don't its a penalty.  The 4th and 8 should have never happened.  

 

You can gain competitive advantages from false starts or illegal formations, but the 41st second on the play clock is completely irrelevant.