Clock & Timing Crew Card

Wind it, stop it, count it down, and fix it when the scoreboard lies. For crews of five and crews of four.

Download the Clock & Timing Crew Card (PDF, 2 pages) — print at 100% on Letter, two-sided, flip on the long edge.

Associations amend these — check Vermont's guidance before teaching it.

This card is the crew's timing mechanics. For the scoreboard operator's own reference, see the Clock Officials Cheat Sheet.

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Wind or stop

The ball is dead · does the clock run.

Everyone on this

• The covering official owns it. Rotate the index finger at shoulder level so the Referee knows; wrists crossed at the waist if it stays stopped.
• Dead inbounds between the numbers and the sideline: the wing winds twice and the Referee mirrors it.
• Touchdown, touchback, safety and incomplete pass stop the clock by themselves. Never follow one of those with a timeout signal.
• Every official mirrors every timeout signal on every play.

Referee — white hat only

• You wind on the ready facing the press box, or with your press-box-side arm when the snap is imminent and you have to watch it.
• First down: signal it immediately, once, no chopping. Inbounds near a sideline: wind the clock so the crew knows he stayed in.
• Free kick caught between the hashes, you signal alone. Caught in a side zone, you and the near wing.

Clock signals

Signal	What it is
Wind it	Rotate the index finger at shoulder level, so the Referee knows to wind.
Do not wind	Wrists crossed at the waist.
Ready for play	Referee faces the press box, or uses his press-box-side arm.
Two-minute reminder	Tap the wrist at shoulder level, each play.
Stop sign	Arm out at 90° toward the Referee — injury, a coach, the timer, anything.
First down	Referee signals once, immediately. No chopping.
Out of timeouts	Two tugs on the steamboat whistle facing the press box, then point at that goal line.

Who owns what

LJ	Primary on the game clock, and the on-field backup for it in crews of four and five. Talks with the game-clock timer before the game, and times halftime, weather delays and the interval before overtime. The play-clock operator is the Back Judge's contact — or the Referee's in a crew of four.
BJ	Signals the Referee whether the clock starts on the ready or the snap — the Line Judge is often busy with a coach or walking off yardage.
HL / LJ	Timeout signal the moment the runner goes out of bounds — not when you reach the spot.

Crew of 4: the Referee picks up the Back Judge's clock-status duty.

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The play clock

Ball is marked ready.

Everyone on this

• Five seconds left gets an arm up with five fingers, counted down four, three, two, one.
• Reset is signal 17 — right arm straight up, palm up, pumped three times as if pushing the sky. Both hands to reset to 40.
• An interrupted play clock is never resumed — it is reset to 25. Malfunction, official's time-out, or an appreciable delay with the clock down to 20: all 25. When the play clock is interrupted the game clock stops too, and restarts on the snap or on the ready if it had been running. When in doubt, reset.
• The play clock is turned off once the ready is whistled with less than 25 (or 40) seconds left in the quarter and the game clock is running, so the quarterback isn't reading a number that means nothing.
• Wrong down box? The Line Judge points above the Head Line Judge's head, repeatedly. Use a soft whistle only if you have to, and don't draw attention to it.
• The play clock is not a race. Hustle, but don't hurry — the crew goal is that the offense never waits on us.

Referee — white hat only

• In a crew of 5 the Back Judge has it. In a crew of 4 it is yours: announce five, then verbalize four, three, two, one. Whoever has it also meets the play clock operator before the game — Back Judge in a crew of 5, Referee in a crew of 4. The Line Judge's timer is the game clock operator; they are two different people and two different meetings.
• First down gained inbounds: the game clock stops for the new series but the 40-second play clock starts at the dead ball, so the ball cannot be snapped until you restart the game clock. The Umpire stands over the ball until you wind it and he has seen it start. No response from the operator: whistle — it does not reset the play clock. Still nothing: signal time-out and reset to 25.
• Mark the ball ready only when you're clear of all players, and on a first down only after the down box is set.
• Any official can give you the stop sign for an unusual delay in marking it ready.

Who does what

	Crew of 5	Crew of 4
R	Marks the ball ready. Back-pedal to your position first if they're already at the line.	The play clock is yours as well as the ready. Say it out loud — five, four, three, two, one.
U	—	Counts B and owns B's substitutions.
HL / LJ	Substitutes off on your sideline before the snap.	Same as a crew of 5.
BJ	Owns the play clock, with or without a visible one, and meets its operator before the game. Carries a backup count when there is a visible clock. Resets it when needed.	—

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Timeouts

A team asks, or the crew needs one.

Everyone on this

• Calling official: whistle, timeout twice, then point at the team twice.
• All five signal the timeouts remaining for each team to each other, and each of you records it.
• If several of you need to get together and talk, do it — but keep an eye on your team while you do.

Referee — white hat only

• Signal the timeout twice facing the press box, then turn and point both arms at that team's goal line twice.
• When a team is out of timeouts, two tugs on the steamboat whistle facing the press box, then point at their goal line.
• Check the scoreboard for the correct number of timeouts before you mark the ball ready.

Who does what

	Crew of 5	Crew of 4
R / crew	Every official mirrors the timeout signal twice, every time.	Same, and you keep the count yourself.
U	Stay over the ball until the Referee is ready.	Same as a crew of 5.
HL / LJ	Tell the head coach when his team is out of timeouts.	Same as a crew of 5.
BJ	Record them, and help the Referee keep the count honest.	—

TV game: the Line Judge holds the Referee and Umpire with a stop sign until the coordinator says they're ready. The Umpire stays over the ball.

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When the clock is wrong

No scoreboard · or it didn't stop.

Everyone on this

• Clock broken or turned off: announce the time remaining at nine, six, four and two minutes, in a loud voice. Inside two minutes, after every play if you can.
• Inside two minutes with timeouts live, somebody must actually see the scoreboard stop on an out-of-bounds, an incomplete pass or a timeout. Name who.
• If the clock doesn't start after the signal, every official signals start clock.
• Unusual delay in marking the ball ready — injury, a coach, the timer putting 12:00 up — give the Referee the stop sign and hold it.

Referee — white hat only

• The official facing the scoreboard rules on the snap versus the end of the period — that's you or the Back Judge, not whoever is closest.
• Halftime: wind the clock, then the crew jogs off together.
• End of the game: signal the end of the period, gather as a crew and run off together. Don't stay to visit.

Who does what

Crew of 5

• LJ — Talks to the timer before the game. If the scoreboard doesn't restart after the signal, you catch it.
• BJ — Second set of eyes on the scoreboard and on the clock status.
• R / U — Announce the remaining time loudly enough for both benches.

Crew of 4

• LJ — Same as a crew of 5, and you are the only clock specialist.
• R — You and the Line Judge carry the scoreboard between you.
• U / HL — Announce the time to the near bench.

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Coin toss and overtime

Three minutes before kickoff is the manual's default; the state association may set a different time.

1. Positions. Umpire on the chain sideline, Referee on the sideline opposite. Back Judge on the chain-side hash, Line Judge on the opposite hash, Head Line Judge on his own sideline.
2. Escorts. The Referee and Umpire bring the captains out from their sidelines and meet at the center of the field. Home is usually the press-box sideline.
3. The toss. Referee has the officials introduce themselves, asks which captain will call, takes the call and repeats it. Toss at three minutes, catch it, then ask the captain to repeat the call. The Umpire steps forward and repeats it too.
4. Options. Defer, or choose for the first half. If he defers, signal the press box. If he chooses, turn the captains and signal. Then discuss sportsmanship and check the options with the crew — the whole thing should take two or three minutes.
5. Second half and overtime. One captain each to the centre of the field, secure the options, signal the press box. In overtime, toss, secure the choices, turn the captains and signal by pointing at the goal line.
6. Before you leave the field. Referee winds the clock at halftime and the crew jogs off together. At the end of the game, signal the period, gather as a crew and run off. Don't stay to visit — it is preventive officiating.