How is time of possession measured when:
The play clock starts at 10:00. After 8 seconds, the quarterback throws an interception and the former defense runs it back for a touchdown that takes 10 seconds?
Does all time go to one or the other team or is it split.
Similarly, how is TOP measured on a punt?
When the defender catches and controls the ball (isn’t, say, bobbling it around trying to secure it), his team has possession from that point. They would have had 10 seconds of possession if they ran it for 10 seconds to score, assuming the run began the moment the ball was secured.
If the punt is caught or even touched by the receiving team, they have possession from that point. (Though if that touch is a “muff” where the receiver touches the ball but doesn’t control it, such as having it bounce off his chest then off the ground, if the defense snatches up that live ball, they regain possession again, and the receiving team probably didn’t possess it for very long.)
If nobody on the receiving team touches the ball and it goes out of bounds, or into the end zone for a touchback, or a member of the kicking team stops the ball (maybe to prevent a touchback which is pretty common) then the receiving team gains possession after the end of that play and becomes the offense with a first down.
Now, I don’t know how precise they try to get time of possession for stats. But time of possession is as simple as the amount of time each team was in possession of the ball while the clock is running, and possession of the ball is also a simple concept, so all you have to do is put those two things together.
I don’t think this is correct, according to NFL Guide for Statisticians.
When a change of possession (punt, fumble, interception, blocked kick) occurs during a play, consider the original team in possession until the play ends.
Good find.