Question Number: 23700

League Specific 7/24/2010

RE: high school High School

Ray Maye of Woodville, oh United States asks...

If a stadium has a scoreboard clock and it does not make a noise to alert that it has reached 0:OO. How in a two ref diagonal system do they signal the end of the half if the one that is the official timekeeper has to watch a breaking play heading his direction as time is winding down? Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Rule 6 anticipates an official scorer who will count down the last ten seconds to the nearest official, and that the official scorer will signal the end of the match. When other means are not available, Rule 5 permits the referee to keep track of time and decide when the match ends.

While the referee has the ability to stop the clock for various events, under NFHS high school rules, the referee has no discretion to add time (regardless of an imminent goal scoring opportunity). The final whistle should be blown when time expires.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Another reason not to use the 2 man system of control. To be fair, when the high school Rule book was written, there was the unrealistic attitude that all venues would be fully equiped, including a timekeeper