Section 3- Ending a Period- Half

• Art. 1- Approximately four minutes before the end of each half, the referee shall notify the field captains and their coaches of the time remaining.  If time is not out, the referee shall order the clock stopped while he does this.  If an electric field clock is the official timepiece, neither notification nor stoppage of the clock is required.

• Art. 2- If time for any period expirees during a down (clock indicates 0:00), play shall continue until the down ends, even though a mechanical signal is allowed to sound.

• Art. 3- A period must be extended by an untimed down if during the last down of the period, one of the following occurs:
• There was a foul, other than unsportsmanlike or non-player, by either team and the penalty is accepted
• There was a double foul
• There was an inadvertent whistle
• If a touchdown was scored, the try is attempted unless the touchdown is scored during the last down of the fourth period and the point(s) would not affect the outcome of the game or playoff qualifying.

• Art. 4- At the end of each period the referee shall hold the ball in one hand overhead to indicate the period has officially ended, after delaying momentarily to ensure that:
• No foul has occurred
• No obvious timing error has occurred
• No request for a coach-referee conference has occurred
• No other irregularity has occurre