Defensive Stalling

[LaxRef]

Has anyone ever seen defensive stalling called in a game? Not a defensive 10-second failure to advance, but defensive stalling between the defensive clearing line and midfield.

The rules for defensive stalling are really strange, I think, and they actually don't even tell you what to do after giving the warning (they don't specify a count or what has to happen for the ball to be turned over for a violation).

Here are the rules for reference:

========

Defensive stalling—It shall be the initial responsibility of the clearing
team to clear the ball. In stalling situations in the portion of the field
between the defensive-area line and the center line, the official nearest
the player in possession of the ball will give that player an audible and
a visual five-second count. If at the end of the count the team still has
not attempted to clear the ball or move the ball to within 5 yards of the
opposing team, that team will be warned to “clear the ball.”

A team with fewer players than the opposing team due to penalties
cannot be guilty of stalling in the portion of the field between the defensive-
area line and the center line. The stalling situation shall end when
the ball crosses the center line or the team so warned loses possession
and the opponent gains possession.

========

I just can't figure out what they're getting at with this rule, and I've never seen a situation where it even occurred to me that maybe I should give this warning.

[michaeldwilson]

Hi Harold,

Yeah, it reads as if they meant to say more, but stopped. Is there an analogous rule for stalling in the box, when a player stands holds the ball and really does nothing?

Mike

[WarriorLax22]

if you pass around between the box and the midfield line, that would seem like defensive stalling.

[rilax]

Basically it just makes sure that the clearing team does at least make some attempt to clear the ball. The thing is that in a normal game there is the over and back call so the three attackmen (and midfields if available) can attempt to dislodge the ball and by doing so prevent the stalling from taking place by being within 5 yards of the player with possession at various points. The only time it could take place is if a team has possession of the ball in zone 2 and all the clearing players are either on there defensive half of the field and the attackmen are deep in there goal area (technically opposing teams defensive area). Don’t know when they put this rule in but there had to have been some odd ball event that started it or this was a left over of some old staling rule before 10 second counts.

[TheKOB]

If you're trying to stall using just 1/4th of the field...it doesn't seem like such a wise move to me, considering you've got 6 guys from the other team trying to either shove you out of bounds, back into your box, or (rather unlikely but if the situation called for it) over the midfield line to start the 10 second count. It's also dangerously close to your goal, and I would be very worried about giving the other team a fast break opportunity.

[Snake~eyes]

Agreed, the reason you will never call this is because attackmen will swarm over defenders and it is easier to stall in the offensive half.

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
Agreed, the reason you will never call this is because attackmen will swarm over defenders and it is easier to stall in the offensive half.

Which makes me wonder all the more what the heck they were thinking when they put in this rule, especially since it doesn't give you the power to DO anything if they do stall (you can warn them, but there's no penalty prescribed if you ignore them).

[HdGLaxWarrior]

My team got called on stalling because one of our middies went down. I think thats crap because it was like 85 degrees that day, and we played 2 games that day. And that ridiclous call happend during the 4th quarter of the second game.

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by LaxRef
Which makes me wonder all the more what the heck they were thinking when they put in this rule, especially since it doesn't give you the power to DO anything if they do stall (you can warn them, but there's no penalty prescribed if you ignore them).
Yes you can do somthing. You can warn them then start a visual 5 second count, if they don't clear the ball by then, then you award the ball to the other team.

[michaeldwilson]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
Yes you can do somthing. You can warn them then start a visual 5 second count, if they don't clear the ball by then, then you award the ball to the other team.

But the rules don't give us the ability to do this.

I think maybe we refs should pull out the big
weapon: The Double Secret Warning. That should
get the game rolling.

Mike

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by michaeldwilson
But the rules don't give us the ability to do this.

I think maybe we refs should pull out the big
weapon: The Double Secret Warning. That should
get the game rolling.

Mike
Odd, I looked at NCAA rules and they don't really have a punishment. NFHS says after the 5 second count to award the other team the ball.

NCAA does say to start a 5 second count visual and verbal and warn the team to clear the ball.

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
Yes you can do somthing. You can warn them then start a visual 5 second count, if they don't clear the ball by then, then you award the ball to the other team.

Can you quote the NCAA rule on this? Because I've never been able to find anything other than the rules saying to warn them to clear the ball.

I'm not saying what you propose is unreasonable, just that I've never seen a rule that says to do that. It may well only be in the NFHS rulebook that it says that.

[TheKOB]

I figure any team able to stall effectively in that small area of the field against the other team must be so far ahead anyways by then, they might as well let 'em. Then again, it is a lot easier to stall in the box.

Another related question....if a team get's called for stalling on their offensive half of the field, does the ball get turned over or are they just told to keep it in the box, akin to winning in the final 2 minutes of play?

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by TheKOB
I figure any team able to stall effectively in that small area of the field against the other team must be so far ahead anyways by then, they might as well let 'em. Then again, it is a lot easier to stall in the box.

Another related question....if a team get's called for stalling on their offensive half of the field, does the ball get turned over or are they just told to keep it in the box, akin to winning in the final 2 minutes of play?

The way it works is this:

Offense passes and runs the ball around for a while without attempting to make a scoring play. After about 30-40 seconds, the officials fold their arms to let the offense know they're considering a stalling warning. Then, if nothing changes, they give the "keep it in" warning. Then, if the ball comes out of the box (not on a shot or deflection by the defense), stalling is called and the ball is awarded to the defense.

Thus, there's a difference between the stalling warning and stalling actually being called.

You can NEVER get a stalling violation when the ball is in the box.

Oh, and you have to be careful not to trap the offense with the stalling (they're just going for a touch and intend to pull the ball out, you yell "keep it in" and they're already out). I usually say "Red is going to have to keep it in" if the ball is not in the box when I decide to give the warning.

[michaeldwilson]

Originally posted by LaxRef
The way it works is this:

Offense passes and runs the ball around for a while without attempting to make a scoring play. After about 30-40 seconds, the officials fold their arms to let the offense know they're considering a stalling warning. Then, if nothing changes, they give the "keep it in" warning. Then, if the ball comes out of the box (not on a shot or deflection by the defense), stalling is called and the ball is awarded to the defense.

Thus, there's a difference between the stalling warning and stalling actually being called.

You can NEVER get a stalling violation when the ball is in the box.

Oh, and you have to be careful not to trap the offense with the stalling (they're just going for a touch and intend to pull the ball out, you yell "keep it in" and they're already out). I usually say "Red is going to have to keep it in" if the ball is not in the box when I decide to give the warning. \

So if Team A is ahead and playing keep away in the offensive side, you let them go for about a minute altogether? (Arms folded, wait 20 seconds, then tell them they are going to have to keep it in.)

Thanks,

Mike

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by michaeldwilson
\

So if Team A is ahead and playing keep away in the offensive side, you let them go for about a minute altogether? (Arms folded, wait 20 seconds, then tell them they are going to have to keep it in.)


It has nothing to do with a team being ahead, as this A.R. shows:

============

A.R. 42. Early in the game Team A has fewer goals than Team B, and is using a deliberate ball-control offense as its offensive strategy. May Team A be called for offensive stalling? RULING: Yes.

Note: Officials should be alert to and call stalling warnings early in the game if a team is not creating a scoring opportunity.

============


I'll normally give the folded arms at about 30 seconds and the warning at 40-45 seconds. I'm especially alert to call this if the team with the ball is man-down and stalling to kill the penalty.

[Snake~eyes]

Just to make things clear, you can never call a stalling violation when the ball is in the box but you can warn them to keep it in even if they have the ball in the goal area.

[LaxRef]

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
Just to make things clear, you can never call a stalling violation when the ball is in the box but you can warn them to keep it in even if they have the ball in the goal area.

Thanks for clarifying it this way. I probably should have pointed this out in my post, but this should end any confusion about it.