Not sure who you coach for nor do I know what official told you that about the "stopwatch". I won't state my opinion of that statement he made to you.

 

Notice that I said, "early in game" some "preventative officiating" is done and if those tactics don't work, flags will be thrown. Also, I am only one official and am stating what most officials in my association are taught (taught by VERY competent experienced officials). I guess I shouldn't speak for every official in the state. I wish we were all taught the same though.

 

If a team is getting an unfair advantage my flag will be on the field.

 

I am sure you would agree though that some instances are better served to have the flag stay in our pocket. example: blowout game

A stop watch is not illegal equipment. However, if there is a question about play clock and delay of game fouls, please start a new thread. Please try to keep rules discussion separate to prevent long threads that are not a single topic.

Rules governing the NZ include...

 

RULE 2 SECTION 8 ENCROACHMENT

Encroachment occurs when a player is illegally in the neutral zone during the

time interval starting when the ball is marked ready for play and until the ball is

snapped or free kicked. For the purposes of enforcing encroachment restrictions,

an entering substitute is not considered to be a player until he is on his team’s

side of the neutral zone.

 

RULE 2 SECTION 28 NEUTRAL ZONE

ART. 1 . . . The neutral zone is the space between the two free-kick lines during

a free-kick down and between the two scrimmage lines during a scrimmage

down. For a free-kick down, the neutral zone is 10 yards wide and for a

scrimmage down it is as wide as the length of the football. It is established when

the ball is marked ready for play.

ART. 2 . . . The neutral zone may be expanded following the snap up to a

maximum of 2 yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage, in the field of play,

during any scrimmage down.

 

RULE 2 SECTION 32 PLAYER DESIGNATIONS

ART. 9 . . . A lineman is any A player who is facing his opponent’s goal line

with the line of his shoulders approximately parallel thereto and with his head or

foot breaking an imaginary plane drawn parallel to the line of scrimmage through

the waist of the snapper when the ball is snapped.

ART. 15 . . . A substitute is a team member who may replace a player or fill a

player vacancy. A substitute becomes a player when he enters the field and

communicates with a teammate or an official, enters the huddle, is positioned in

a formation or participates in the play. An entering substitute is not considered to

be a player for encroachment restrictions until he is on his team’s side of the

neutral zone. A team member entering the field to fill a player vacancy remains a

substitute until he is on his team’s side of the neutral zone.

 

RULE 3 SECTION 7 SUIBSTITIONS

ART. 5 . . . An entering substitute shall be on his team’s side of the neutral zone

when the ball is snapped or free kicked.

ART. 6 . . . During a down, a replaced player or substitute who enters the field,

but does not participate, constitutes illegal substitution.