page_title: Time-out (sport)
section_title: Gridiron football
hierarchical_section_title: Time-out (sport) / List of time-out rules by sport / Gridiron football
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture from the Wake Forest/Boston College game on November 3, 2012
context_page_description: In sports, a time-out or timeout is a halt in the play. This allows the coaches of either team to communicate with the team, e.g., to determine strategy or inspire morale, as well as to stop the game clock. Time-outs are usually called by coaches or players, although for some sports, TV timeouts are called to allow media to air commercial breaks. Teams usually call timeouts at strategically important points in the match, or to avoid the team being called for a delay of game-type violation, such as the five-second rule in basketball.
context_section_description: In gridiron football, the use and rationing of time-outs is a major part of clock management strategy; calling time-out stops the clock (which normally is running between plays except in the case of a penalty, an incomplete pass, officials requiring time to re-spot the ball and/or down markers, or when the ball is run out of bounds), extending the time a team has to score. Timeouts can be called by both players (typically the quarterback or a linebacker) and the head coach. The number of timeouts is limited to three per team per half in the National Football League, and college and high school levels; to two per half in amateur Canadian football, and to one per half in the Canadian Football League.  Unused timeouts carry over between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth quarters, but they do not carry over between halves.  If overtime is required in the NFL, each team is given two timeouts during a ten-minute regular season sudden-death period (overtime periods are fifteen minutes in the playoffs), while in college football each team gets one timeout per possession. In the CFL, overtime is untimed and teams receive no additional timeouts. If a timeout above these limits is called, it is usually ignored and no penalty is assessed (however, in many leagues, a coach attempting to call a timeout when he has no timeouts left can be assessed a 5-yard Delay Of Game penalty).
  Teams use several methods to stop the clock without exhausting a timeout. These include:
  Running out of bounds with the ball. In the NFL, this only stops the clock in the final two minutes of the first half and final five minutes of the second half; the rest of the time, the clock stops only temporarily, restarting when the ball is set for the next play. In arena football, the clock stops only for out-of-bounds plays in the final minute of the half.
  Throwing the ball out of bounds. This is an incomplete pass, and depending on the circumstances risks incurring an intentional grounding penalty, but sometimes, the team may choose to sacrifice a down to stop the clock.
  Spiking the ball. This, likewise, is an incomplete pass and sacrifices a down.
  Waiting for the two-minute warning in the NFL, three-minute warning in Canadian football, one-minute warning in Arena football if it is approaching. College and high school football do not have any of these stoppages.
  Committing an offense for which a minor penalty may be called. In some leagues, late in the game, a 10-second runoff may be assessed to discourage this.
  Feigning the injury of a player. If this occurs more than once in a game, a timeout may be charged, and/or a penalty may be assessed. In some leagues, if time is called because of an injury, the injured player may be ordered to sit out at least the next play as a way of discouraging the feigning of injury.
  In the NFL, college football, and CFL, a timeout is assessed against a team if a head coach unsuccessfully challenges a play.
  A common practice in gridiron football is to call a timeout right before a potential game-winning or game-tying field goal, a strategy known as "icing the kicker." In theory, this strategy works because the kicker has prepared himself mentally to make the kick only to have the timeout break his concentration. While this strategy has seemingly worked on occasion, statistics suggest that not only is this an ineffective strategy, but is actually counterproductive because kickers are more likely to make a field goal after a timeout is called—possibly because they have come to expect a timeout to be called, if the opposing team still has one. There have also been times when the tactic has directly backfired; for example, in an NFL game played on November 19, 2007, between the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan called a timeout to ice the kicker. It was difficult to hear the whistle and the play continued, with Titans kicker Rob Bironas badly shanking a 56-yard field goal. The play was restarted, this time without a timeout, and the kick was good. Since a team is not allowed 
caption: Time out during a 2012 game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Boston College Eagles.  Two officials, the referee and the umpire, stand over the ball while the teams confer during the time out.
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