# NFL question about penalties and the clock
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [June 14, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196 "2010-06-14T20:50:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/1 "2010-06-14T20:50:48Z")
If you are running out of time and it is like in the last minute of the 4th and you have no time outs could you just go offsides on purpose to stop the clock? Maybe it wouldn’t always be the best depending on the yardage, but I have seen some situations where I thought it might have helped.
So is there a rule against this? Or is there some reason I don’t see why it just isn’t a good idea?
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### Author:  [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/2 "2010-06-14T20:59:48Z")
> [@PSXer](#):
>
> If you are running out of time and it is like in the last minute of the 4th and you have no time outs could you just go offsides on purpose to stop the clock? Maybe it wouldn’t always be the best depending on the yardage, but I have seen some situations where I thought it might have helped.
>
> So is there a rule against this? Or is there some reason I don’t see why it just isn’t a good idea?
[http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/timingfinal](http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/timingfinal)
> [@](#):
>
> If the defensive team is behind in the score and commits a foul when it has no time outs left in the final 40 seconds of either half, the offensive team can decline the penalty for the foul and have the time on the clock expire.
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### Author:  [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/3 "2010-06-14T21:00:25Z")
eheu now I look like quite the fool
but would it work with 41 seconds left?
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### Author:  [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/4 "2010-06-14T21:07:04Z")
> [@PSXer](#):
>
> eheu now I look like quite the fool
> but would it work with 41 seconds left?
You would only succeed if the offense snapped the ball or if you encroached, anyway. But I don’t see what the point would be–the clock starts when the ball is snapped anyway.
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### Author:  [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/5 "2010-06-14T21:12:48Z")
What if you encroached on 3rd and 10 with 42 seconds on the game clock and 20 on the play clock, to stop the offense from letting the game clock run down to 22 before snapping? Would this work?
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/6 "2010-06-14T21:19:22Z")
If it makes you feel any better, this sort of thing happens a _lot_ in basketball.
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### Author:  [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-question-about-penalties-and-the-clock/543196/7 "2010-06-14T22:25:21Z")
> [@PSXer](#):
>
> What if you encroached on 3rd and 10 with 42 seconds on the game clock and 20 on the play clock, to stop the offense from letting the game clock run down to 22 before snapping? Would this work?
Well they probably wouldn’t be at the line at 22 on the play clock. They would probably break the huddle around 12 or 10 and just wait until the clock ran down to 1 until snapping it.
I would imagine any defensive player obviously trying to game the system by loafing in the opponent’s backfield would draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty or somesuch.