Two-minute warning

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The two-minute warning is a suspension of play in an American football game that occurs when two minutes remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e., near the end of the second and fourth quarters, and overtime. [1] Its effect on play is similar to that of a timeout: the game clock stops and the teams gather to discuss strategy. The suspension of play is two minutes long, the same as the short two-minute intermissions between quarters within each half. [2] The rule is used in levels of professional football and is referred to as the two-minute timeout in the NCAA and high school football in Texas since 2024.

Contents

Its name reflects its origins as a point in the game where the officials would inform the teams that the half was nearly over, as the official game clock was not displayed in the stadium at the time the two-minute warning was created. With the official game clock being displayed prominently in the stadium in modern times, the original purpose of the two-minute warning is no longer necessary, but it has nevertheless evolved into an important reference point in a game. A number of rules change at the two-minute warning, including several relating to the game clock. The two-minute warning is often an important factor in a team's clock management strategy. An additional rationale for retaining the two minute warning is related to the value of television airtime at that point in the game. Television networks invariably run commercials as soon the two minute warning is called, with those slots being among the most lucrative of any in a major football telecast.

The two-minute warning is called when the clock reaches exactly 2:00 if the ball is dead at that time. If the ball is in play when the clock reaches 2:00, the play is allowed to come to its normal end and the two-minute warning is called when the play ends. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the two-minute warning to be called with less than two minutes on the clock, for example 1:55.

Regardless of when it is invoked, the clock is always stopped for the two-minute warning even if the situation would otherwise call for the clock to run. Furthermore, in dead ball situations, regardless of how much time remains on the play clock when the two minute warning comes into effect, that clock is always reset in the same manner it normally would be after a clock-stopping play. The game clock starts again when the ball is snapped for the following play.

There is an additional two-minute warning in the rare event only two minutes remain in an overtime period, which lasts a maximum of ten minutes in the regular season (prior to 2017, the extra period ran fifteen minutes). However, in the postseason, where games continue indefinitely until there is a score, the usual timing rules for a half apply in overtime. Thus, there is no two-minute warning in the first overtime, but if in the second overtime, and any subsequent even overtime period, a game were to be still tied with two minutes remaining, there would be a two-minute warning.

History

The origins are from the early years in the National Football League (NFL) when the official game time was kept by a member of the officiating crew, with the stadium clock being unofficial. Its purpose was a checkpoint to ensure that the teams knew how much time remained in the game. In the early 1960s the upstart American Football League (AFL) made the stadium clock the official game time, a change followed later in the decade by the NFL, shortly before its merger with the AFL. By then, television was an important factor in professional football, so the two-minute warning was retained as a commercial break and to serve as "tension building" time, and thus has become an important part of the game's flow. [3]

The NCAA adopted the two-minute warning rule for college football in 2024, but referred to the rule as the two-minute timeout, insisting that college football broadcasters refer to it as a timeout and not a warning. A representative for the NCAA stated that the "warning" term was outdated—because stadiums have kept the official game clock for decades, teams do not need to be warned about the game clock anymore— and that the NCAA opted for what it considered to be a more accurate phrasing. [4] The NCAA's decision was criticized by fans and several media members, with a representative of the Big Ten stating that the conference would be in favor of using the "two-minute warning" term because "it is consistent with terminology currently in use and familiar to our fan base." [5] [6]

Rules

In addition to those practical purposes, gradually, some rules have evolved that are unique to the final two minutes of each half and overtime. There are no special events at the end of the first and third quarters, aside from the teams changing directions ("swapping end zones"), so there is normally not a two-minute warning during those quarters. Two-minute warnings in each quarter have been implemented in some exhibitions games, such as the Pro Bowl during 2014–2016 and 2019–2022,[ citation needed ] and in some editions of the Senior Bowl. [7]

10-second runoff

The following situations (below) result in a 10-second game clock runoff if the team in possession of the ball is trailing, or the game is tied during that possession. If 10 or fewer seconds remain in the half/overtime/game, the runoff effectively ends the period/game. The offense can call a timeout to avoid the runoff. The defense can decline the 10-second runoff while accepting the distance penalty.

Starting with the 2017 NFL season (and later in the 2024 NCAA football season), any review reversals with the clock running inside the two-minute warning will incur a 10-second runoff, which can be avoided if either team uses a timeout. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Injuries

If a player is injured and his team has timeouts remaining in that half/overtime, the timeout is automatically charged to that team to allow the injured player to be removed from the field. If a team is out of timeouts, they are allowed an otherwise-excessive "fourth timeout" (or third if overtime). However, to minimize the feigning of injuries to save game clock time, any subsequent injuries after the fourth timeout result in a five-yard penalty. Besides the excessive timeout, there is a 10-second runoff (if it was an offensive player that was injured and the clock was not stopped as a result of the play) or the play clock is reset to 40 seconds (if it was a defensive player). [12]

Exceptions to the above include if the other team called a timeout immediately after the previous play; the injury was caused by a foul by an opponent; or the previous play resulted in a change of possession, a successful field goal, or was a conversion attempt. [12]

Other rules

Strategy

The period of time between the two-minute warning and the end of the half is known as the two-minute drill. During this time, clock management becomes a more important aspect of the game, since by proper manipulation of the game clock, a team can, if trailing, prolong the game long enough to secure a score, or if in the lead, hasten the half's end before the opponent can score.

If the leading team has the ball on first down with less than two minutes to go in the game and the opposing team has no timeouts remaining, the quarterback can usually end the game by taking a knee thrice consecutively without risking injuries or turnovers. This is because at the end of each play, the offensive team can take up to 40 seconds to start running the next play.

Other football leagues

The CFL has a three-minute warning. [3] Indoor American football leagues historically used a one-minute warning once a minute remained in the half/overtime. Before 2024, no comparable rule existed at the high school or college levels; at the high school level, the officials are instructed to inform each sideline when three minutes remain in a half, but the rule does not stop the game clock. In April 2024, the NCAA Football Playing Rules Oversight Committee approved the addition of the two-minute warning, effective with that season. [13] The 2022 version of the USFL used the two-minute warning, and stopped the game clock after first downs during that period. After the USFL merged with the 2020s version of the XFL, creating the current United Football League, the UFL adopted this USFL rule.

Related Research Articles

A draw or tie occurs in a competitive sport when the results are identical or inconclusive. Ties or draws are possible in some, but not all, sports and games. Such an outcome, sometimes referred to as deadlock, can also occur in other areas of life such as politics, business, and wherever there are different factions regarding an issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arena football</span> Variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas

Arena football is a variety of gridiron football designed to be played indoors. The game is played on a smaller field than American or Canadian football, designed to fit in the same surface area as a standard North American ice hockey rink, and features between six and eight players for each team playing at any given time depending on the league, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game that can be played on the floors of indoor arenas. The sport was invented in 1981, and patented in 1987, by Jim Foster, a former executive of the National Football League and the United States Football League. The name is trademarked by Gridiron Enterprises and had a proprietary format until its patent expired in 2007.

Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination tournaments where only one team or players can advance to the next round or win the tournament and replays are not allowed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of American and Canadian football</span> Differences between the two most common types of gridiron football

American and Canadian football are gridiron codes of football that are very similar; both have their origins partly in rugby football, but some key differences exist between the two codes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time-out (sport)</span> Intentional delay in sports

In sports, a time-out or timeout is a halt in the play. This allows the coaches of either team to communicate with the team, e.g., to determine strategy or inspire morale, as well as to stop the game clock. Time-outs are usually called by coaches or players, although for some sports, TV timeouts are called to allow media to air commercial breaks. Teams usually call timeouts at strategically important points in the match, or to avoid the team being called for a delay of game-type violation, such as the five-second rule in basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American football rules</span>

Gameplay in American football consists of a series of downs, individual plays of short duration, outside of which the ball is or is not in play. These can be plays from scrimmage – passes, runs, punts or field goal attempts – or free kicks such as kickoffs and fair catch kicks. Substitutions can be made between downs, which allows for a great deal of specialization as coaches choose the players best suited for each particular situation. During a play, each team should have no more than 11 players on the field, and each of them has specific tasks assigned for that specific play.

In gridiron football, clock management is an aspect of game strategy that focuses on the game clock and/or play clock to achieve a desired result, typically near the end of a match. Depending on the game situation, clock management may entail playing in a manner that either slows or quickens the time elapsed from the game clock, to either extend the match or hasten its end. When the desired outcome is to end the match quicker, it is analogous to "running out the clock" seen in many sports. Clock management strategies are a significant part of American football, where an elaborate set of rules dictates when the game clock stops between downs, and when it continues to run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kickoff (gridiron football)</span> Method of starting a drive in gridiron football

A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in gridiron football. Additionally, it may refer to a kickoff time, the scheduled time of the first kickoff of a game. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team". The receiving team is then entitled to return the ball, i.e., attempt to advance it towards the kicking team's end zone, until the player with the ball is tackled by the kicking team, goes out of bounds, scores a touchdown, or the play is otherwise ruled dead. Kickoffs take place at the start of each half of play, the beginning of overtime in some overtime formats, and after scoring plays.

In sports strategy, running out the clock is the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of preselected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest. Such measures expend time but do not otherwise have a tactical purpose. This is usually done by a team that is winning by a slim margin near the end of a game, in order to reduce the time available for the opposing team to score. Generally, it is the opposite strategy of running up the score.

A play clock, also called a delay-of-game timer, is a countdown clock intended to speed up the pace of the game in gridiron football. The offensive team must put the ball in play by either snapping the ball during a scrimmage down or kicking the ball during a free kick down before the time expires, or else they will be assessed a 5-yard delay of game or time count violation penalty. If a visible clock is not available or not functioning, game officials on the field will use a stopwatch or other similar device to enforce the rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarterback kneel</span> American football and Canadian football play

In American football and Canadian football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, kneel-down offense, or victory formation, occurs when the quarterback touches a knee to the ground immediately after receiving the snap, thus downing himself and ending the play. It is primarily used to run the clock down, either at the end of the first half or the game itself, to preserve a lead or ensure a game goes into overtime if the game is tied and in the fourth quarter. Although it generally results in a loss of some yardage and uses up a down, it minimizes the risk of a fumble, which would give the other team a chance at recovering the ball.

In Canadian football, the three-minute warning is given when three minutes of game time remain on the game clock in the first and second halves of a game. The three-minute warning stops the game clock in all cases. American football has a two-minute warning.

A television timeout is a break in a televised live event for the purpose of television broadcasting. This allows commercial broadcasters to take an advertising break, or issue their required hourly station identification, without causing viewers to miss part of the action.

The one-minute warning or the one-minute timing rule was a rule that dictated the flow of the game in the final minute of a half in some indoor American football leagues, most prominently the Arena Football League. During the AFL's final season in 2019, it occurred in the last half-minute of regulation or overtime.

Delay of game is an action in a sports game in which a player or team deliberately stalls the game, usually with the intention of using the delay to its advantage. In some sports, the delay of game is considered an infraction if it is longer than that permitted according to the game's rules, in which case a penalty can be issued. Some sports that have a delay of game penalty are American football, Canadian football, ice hockey and association football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penalty (gridiron football)</span> Penalty in American football

In gridiron football, a penalty is a sanction assessed against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul. Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow colored penalty flag onto the field toward or at the spot of a foul.

In gridiron football, replay review is a method of reviewing a play using cameras at various angles to determine the accuracy of the initial call of the officials. An instant replay can take place in the event of a close or otherwise controversial call, either at the request of a team's head coach or the officials themselves.

In gridiron football, a spike of the ball is the act of intentionally and forcefully throwing the ball to the ground. Most commonly, this takes the form of a celebration after a score or a play in which the quarterback intentionally throws a live ball at the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Football League (2022–2023)</span> Professional American football league

The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football minor league that played two seasons from 2022 to 2023. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the XFL.

References

  1. ↑ James Alder. "About Football Glossary - Two-minute Warning". About.com. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Rule 4 Game Timing, Section 1 Article 2:Intermissions, Section 3 Article 2:Scrimmage down" (PDF). Official NFL Playing Rules. National Football League . Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Ethan Trex (November 26, 2009). "Why Does the NFL Have a Two-Minute Warning?". mental floss. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  4. ↑ Weinstein, Arthur (September 2, 2024). "College football's new '2-minute timeout' term raises questions". Awful Announcing. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ Vannini, Chris (September 14, 2024). "Two-minute 'timeout' or two-minute 'warning'? College football's hottest question, explained" . The Athletic. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ Bucholtz, Andrew (September 14, 2024). "NCAA coordinator of officials on 'two-minute timeout' instead of 'two-minute warning': 'We didn't think that would be a big thing.'". Awful Announcing. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  7. ↑ Jarden, Sam (February 4, 2023). "Senior Bowl final score, results: Fresno State QB Jake Haener named MVP as National team dominates". Sporting News . Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  8. ↑ Schultz, Mark (September 7, 2017). "10-second runoff rule expands by one minute". Football Zebras. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  9. ↑ Weber, Patrick (October 19, 2017). "Everything you need to know about 10-second runoffs". Football Zebras. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ Austro, Ben (September 9, 2018). "The replay timing rule change that's not in the rulebook". Football Zebras. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Play Clock | NFL Football Operations". operations.nfl.com. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "NFL rules, Rule 4, Section 5, Article 4" (PDF). NFL.
  13. ↑ "Football Rules Committee Proposes Technology Rules" (Press release). NCAA. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
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