If you are new to college football, you might notice there are two different clocks constantly appearing on screen.
One tells you how long is left in the game.
The other tells the offence to hurry up and start the next play.
They are the game clock and the play clock, and once you understand the difference, following a game becomes much easier.
What Is the Game Clock?
A college football game is divided into four 15-minute quarters.
The game clock shows how much time remains in the current quarter.
When it reaches zero at the end of the fourth quarter, the game is over unless the scores are tied and overtime is needed.
Simple enough.
The confusing bit is that the clock does not run constantly.
When Does the Game Clock Stop?
The clock can stop for several reasons, including:
- An incomplete pass
- A player going out of bounds in certain situations
- A timeout
- A penalty
- A score
- A change of possession
- An injury
- An official review
There are also different timing rules late in each half.
That is why the final couple of minutes can take much longer than two minutes in real time.
What Happens After a First Down?
This is something that can catch out fans who learned college football under the older rules.
For most of the game, the clock now continues running when the offence gains a first down in bounds.
However, during the final two minutes of each half, the clock stops briefly after a first down while the officials reset the ball.
That makes clock management particularly important late in the second and fourth quarters.
What Is the Two-Minute Timeout?
When the game clock reaches two minutes remaining in the second quarter and fourth quarter, there is an automatic timeout.
Think of it as a clear marker that the final part of the half has begun.
Some timing rules also change after this point, which is why commentators will often talk about teams entering a two-minute drive.
What Is the Play Clock?
The play clock is completely different.
Rather than showing how long is left in the game, it tells the offence how long it has to start the next play.
After most plays, the play clock is set to 40 seconds.
In some situations, such as after certain stoppages, it can be set to 25 seconds.
The offence must snap the ball before the clock reaches zero.
If it does not, it can be penalised for delay of game.
Why Does the Quarterback Watch the Clock?
Before the snap, the quarterback has plenty to do.
They may be:
- Reading the defence
- Changing the play
- Moving players into position
- Communicating with teammates
All while the play clock is counting down.
That is why you will sometimes see a quarterback desperately calling for the ball with only one or two seconds remaining.
They are trying to avoid giving away five yards for delay of game.
Why Do Teams Sometimes Let the Clock Run?
The clock can become a tactical weapon.
If a team is winning late in the game, it may deliberately use as much of the play clock as possible before starting each play.
That reduces the amount of time available for the opposition to come back.
On the other hand, a team that is losing will usually do the opposite.
They may play quickly, run towards the sideline, throw shorter passes or use their timeouts to preserve as much time as possible.
This is known as clock management.
How Many Timeouts Does Each Team Have?
Each team receives three timeouts per half.
Coaches can use them to stop the game clock, discuss a play or manage the closing stages of a half.
Timeouts do not carry over from the first half into the second.
Saving them for the end of the game can be hugely important.
A team trying to come back with three timeouts available has far more options than one with none.
Why Can the Final Two Minutes Take So Long?
This is where everything comes together.
Teams start using timeouts.
Players try to get out of bounds.
Incomplete passes stop the clock.
First downs can temporarily stop it.
Officials may review important plays.
And every second suddenly matters.
Two minutes on the game clock can therefore become quite a bit longer in the real world.
If it is a close Miami game at 2am in the UK, you will become painfully familiar with this concept.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
The easiest way to remember the two clocks is simple.
The game clock tells you how long is left.
The play clock tells the offence how long it has to start the next play.
Once you understand those two things, the final minutes of a college football game start making much more sense.
You will also start noticing teams deliberately controlling the clock rather than simply trying to gain as many yards as possible.
And when there are two minutes left, Miami are protecting a three-point lead and you are watching from the UK in the early hours?
Those seconds suddenly feel very, very long.
