Two - minute warning - wikipedia Two - minute warning For the 1976 film, see Two - Minute Warning. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2011 ) In the National Football League ( NFL ), the two - minute warning is given when two minutes of game time remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e. near the end of the second and fourth quarters. The suspension of play is two minutes long, the same as the short two - minute intermissions between quarters within each half. There is an additional two - minute warning in the rare event only two minutes remain in an overtime period. However, in the postseason, where games continue indefinitely if there is no score, there is no two - minute warning in the first overtime, but if the second overtime, or any subsequent even overtime, is still tied with two minutes remaining ( which has never happened ), there will be a two - minute warning. If the football is in play when the clock reaches 2 : 00, the two - minute warning is called immediately after the play concludes, when the ball is declared dead. The two - minute warning stops the game clock in all cases. Contents 1 History 2 Rules 2.1 10 - second runoff 2.2 Injuries 2.3 Other rules 3 Other football leagues 4 References 5 External links History The origins are from the early years in the NFL when the official game time was kept by a member of the officiating crew, with the stadium clock being unofficial. Its purpose was a checkpoint to ensure that the teams knew how much time remained in the game. In the early 1960 's the upstart American Football League made the stadium clock the official game time, a change followed later in the decade by the NFL. By then, television was an important factor in professional football, so the two - minute warning was retained as a commercial break and to serve as `` tension building '' time, and thus has become an important part of the game 's flow. Rules In addition to those practical purposes, gradually, some rules have evolved that are unique to the final two minutes of each half and overtime. There is no special event at the ends of the first and third quarters, aside from swapping end zones, so there is no two - minute warning then, only at the halves, except as implemented in Pro Bowls from 2014 to 2016. The two - minute warning in the fourth quarter is an important milestone in the game for a team that is in the lead and looking to run out the clock. If the leading team has the ball on first down with less than two minutes to go in the game and the opposing team has no timeouts remaining, the quarterback can often safely end the game by taking a knee three times in a row without risking injuries or turnovers. This is because at the end of each play, the offensive team can take up to 40 seconds to start running the next play. 10 - second runoff The following situations result in a 10 - second game clock runoff if the team in possession of the ball is trailing or the game is tied and the team in possession of the ball has no timeouts remaining in that half. If there are 10 seconds or less left in the half or game, the half or game is ended by such runoff. Excessive timeouts due to injuries ( see below ) Replay reviews in a situation where the clock would not have stopped without the review One of the following six fouls is committed by the offense. Following the runoff, the game clock will resume again once the ball is set. The runoff can also occur if a team declines to use a timeout if it has timeouts remaining. False start Intentional grounding Illegal forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage Throwing a backwards pass out of bounds Spiking or throwing the ball away after a down ( unless after a touchdown ) Any other intentional act that causes the clock to stop Injuries If a player is injured and his team has timeouts remaining in that half, a timeout is automatically charged to that team to allow the injured player to be removed from the field. If a team is out of timeouts, they are allowed an otherwise - excessive `` fourth timeout ''. However, to minimize the feigning of injuries to save game clock time, any subsequent injuries after the fourth timeout result in a five - yard penalty. In addition to an excessive timeout, there is a 10 - second runoff ( if it was an offensive player that was injured ) or the play clock is reset to 40 seconds ( if it was a defensive player ). Exceptions to the above include if the other team called a timeout immediately after the previous play to save time on the clock ; the injury was caused by a foul by an opponent ; or the previous play resulted in a change of possession, a successful field goal, or was a conversion attempt. Other rules Within the two - minute warning period in the 1st half of the game, any restarting of the game following a timeout will happen with a scrimmage down. Within the two - minute warning period ( of either half ), instant replay reviews can only take place if the replay assistant, who sits in the press box and monitors the network broadcast of the game, determines that a play needs review. Coaches may not use a coach 's challenge. Within the two - minute warning period ( of either half ), if a player fumbles the ball, any player on his team can recover the ball, but only the player who fumbled can advance it beyond the spot of the fumble. If any other player from the same team recovers the fumble downfield, the ball is spotted back at the point where it was initially fumbled. This rule also applies to the offense on fourth down at any point in the game, but applies to all downs and both teams after the two - minute warning. This rule was added for the 1979 season as a response to the September 1978 `` Holy Roller '' play. Other Football leagues The CFL has a three - minute warning, while the Arena Football League, and other indoor gridiron football leagues have a one - minute warning. References Jump up ^ James Alder. `` About Football Glossary - Two - minute Warning ''. About.com. Retrieved 14 January 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Rule 4 Game Timing, Section 1 Article 2 : Intermissions, Section 3 Article 2 : Scrimmage down '' ( PDF ). Official NFL Playing Rules. National Football League. Retrieved 14 January 2018. ^ Jump up to : Ethan Trex ( 26 November 2009 ). `` Why Does the NFL Have a Two - Minute Warning ? ''. mental floss. Retrieved 27 August 2012. External links `` What is a two minute warning '' video explanation at videojug Gridiron football concepts Codes American Glossary History Early Modern Rules Canadian American -- Canadian comparison Burnside rules Glossary Arena Indoor 9 - man 8 - man 6 - man Flag Touch Street / Backyard Powderpuff Wheelchair Rules of gridiron football codes Levels of play Youth / midget Pop Warner AYF High school Varsity Junior varsity College Club Sprint Semi-pro Professional Practice squad Women 's International Field Lines Yard lines Hash marks Goal line Sidelines Line of scrimmage Field goal range Spaces End zone Red zone Neutral zone Coffin corner Flat Gap Hole Pocket Scoring Touchdown One - point conversion Two - point conversion Field goal Safety Single ( rouge ) Turnovers Fumble Interception Muffed punt Turnover on downs Downs First down Three - and - out Fourth down conversion Dead ball Play clock Timeout Kneel Spike Time warnings 3 min. 2 min. 1 min. Clock management Running out the clock Untimed play Garbage time Statistics Carry Completion Rushing yards Passing yards Passer rating Total quarterback rating Reception Receiving yards Pass deflected Sack Return yards Total offense Yards after catch Yards from scrimmage All - purpose yardage Touchdown pass Practice Two - a-days Oklahoma drill Three - cone drill Film session Officiating Official ( American, Canadian ) Chain crew Penalty Penalty flag Instant replay Miscellaneous Ball Coaching tree Concussions Equipment 12th man Letterman Overtime Running up the score Touchdown celebration Gatorade shower Tuck rule Uniform number Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Two-minute_warning&oldid=820464966 '' Categories : American football terminology Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2011 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Edit links This page was last edited on 14 January 2018, at 21 : 53. 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Question: when did the nfl start the 2 minute warning
Answer: 1960's