NFHS Football Penalty Enforcements 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A 10-second run-off is applied when the offense commits a dead ball foul late in the game while the clock is running. This rule is designed to discourage teams from committing penalties intentionally to stop the clock and gain an unfair advantage during crucial moments of the game.

In this scenario, if a dead ball foul occurs (for example, unsportsmanlike conduct or delay of game), and the game clock is running, the 10-second run-off is enforced as a penalty. The intention is to ensure that the game proceeds fairly and that teams do not manipulate the timing of the game through strategic fouls. This run-off is applicable specifically in the last two minutes of either half, which is critical given the high stakes of those closing moments in a football game.

The other situations described would not result in a 10-second run-off, as they either involve scenarios where the clock is not running or where penalties are called in a different context, thus not triggering the specific condition for a run-off.