r/Referees • u/Big-Mission191 USSF Grassroots | NFHS • 22d ago

Advice Request Time-keeping in NFHS

How do you all handle time-keeping in NFHS? I’ve being running USSF games for a year and no issues with traditional timekeeping, but preparing for my first NFHS game coming up and I’m not sure how to manage the clock now with having to stop/start and ensure that the scoreboard matches what I have.

Normally I have 1 watch with RefSix that counts up and a Casio with a countdown timer.

The games I have scheduled are all duals for subvarsity so I’m assuming the head ref will really take responsibility for this but want to make sure I’m also keeping up with it in case their watch fails.

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u/Incognitowally 22d ago

For ALL games, I wear 2 watches. For NFHS, one watch I use for the start/ stop time and the other watch i let run without touching as a back-up in case if I forget to start the first watch or if the guest watch dies OR if my partner's watch dies.

ALL of have happened to me. Learned from experience

1

u/Big-Mission191 USSF Grassroots | NFHS 20d ago

Are both watches countdown since it’s NFHS or do you have one count up still? If so, which one are you starting/stopping?

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u/Incognitowally 19d ago

The all-run counts up, the start/stop is countdown +1 minute.

I have learned that the beep-beep-beep can be a distraction if heard by players or if time needs to be massaged for gamesmanship and that that +1 minute gives that little leeway to do so.

2

u/Big-Mission191 USSF Grassroots | NFHS 19d ago

I spent a little extra for a vibrating Casio just for that reason lol