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March 29

Gunshot for end of half

The above question leads me to wonder this about another sport. In the CFL, at one time the way the game ended was that after the last play was complete, the referee would make a signal and in response another official on the sidelines would fire a starter's pistol. (And the TV commentators would say things like "The gun sounds, and Edmonton has won.") As I recall, the same gun signal was used for the end of the first half, but not for the odd-numbered quarters. Today, though, it's just the referee's signal that ends it. So my question is: when exactly did they stop using the gun? (There was a period of some years when I didn't pay attention to the game.) Did they give a reason for the change? Was a gun signal like this ever used in the NFL or other US professional or college leagues, and if so, when and why did they stop, and do any of them do it still? --69.159.8.46 (talk) 02:40, 29 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know the exact year when it stopped, but it was definitely used in American football games; the meme of using a gun to mark the end of half/game is used to humorous effect in the football sequence from the Robert Altman film MASH. --Jayron 32 13:51, 30 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

"It seems strange today, but NFL officials used to fire a starter’s pistol to end each quarter. It’s a mechanic that was first used in 1924 and lasted until the NFL discontinued the practice starting in 1994". NFL100: Why did officials use a pistol to signal the end of the quarter?. Alansplodge (talk) 17:05, 30 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, interesting read. So in the NFL the gun signal was needed because the stadium clock was not official, and later that changed. I guess the same applied in the CFL. I still miss the gunshot, though, now that I'm watching the game again. --69.159.8.46 (talk) 20:48, 30 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I have added a brief note to the starting pistol article, thus adding to "the sum of all human knowledge". Alansplodge (talk) 18:02, 31 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Once the stadium clock became official (which, as I recall, was the practice of the AFL), the gunshot was no longer necessary. And it wasn't just the NFL. In my high school they used a starter pistol to signal the ends of quarters. By carrying the actual time on the scoreboard, visible to everyone, the fans could stay informed - in contrast to the contempt in which soccer holds its fans, by only the officials knowing exactly how much time remains. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:26, 31 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

In Association Football, the timekeeper has to tell everyone how much extra time has been added-on after 90 minutes of play. [1] Alansplodge (talk) 14:53, 2 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

And in reinforcement, this added period is normally displayed to everyone in the stadium via the stadium scoreboard and, if televised, alongside the clock and score conventionally displayed in the upper left corner of the screen.

The only uncertainty arises if, during the added time itself, the referee (who is the official timekeeper) has good reason to add yet further added time, which in the circumstances he may not be able to convey to the stadium staff. In most countries, referees are well trained, and trusted to possess the judgement necessary to control the game in this and all other matters. Things may be different in the USA. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.27.39 (talk) 17:27, 2 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Those "extra time" signs are approximate, and only the ref knows when the final whistle will blow. It's a system that's ripe for corruption. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:48, 2 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

No, the signs are precise, in that the referee decides towards the end of each half of normal play how much time he (or she) is going to add, in increments of 1 minute. (He probably carries a second stopwatch, or uses such a facility on his timekeeping watch, to add individual periods accrued during play, and then rounds the total to the nearest or next minute.) The only uncertainty comes if he has to add yet further time because of incidents after his initial decision, or during the extra time itself. Absent such incidents, the stated added time period is (or should be) adhered to, subject to circumstances – a referee would not, for example, signal full time after a shot at goal had been kicked but before it had crossed the line.

As you say, corruption is possible, but that is the case in nearly all human endeavor. In order to remain undetected, a corrupt referee would have to fool (or involve) the two assistant referees (aka "linesmen", the 4th Official assisting at professional-level matches, and their applicable Regional or National Referees' Association (see for example Football refereeing in England) who scrutinise the reports on every match's refereeing made by each official and both teams' managers, and investigate any complaints and appeals. The perceptions of the spectators and Press are also not to be discounted.

Historically, match-fixing by referees (who may have been bribed or threatened) has happened on rare occasions, but match-fixing by players or managers is relatively far more common. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.27.39 (talk) 18:38, 3 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Until such time (if any) that the time is kept honestly, on the stadium clock where everyone can see it, soccer will remain at best a second-rate sport. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:55, 3 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Amen. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:19, 3 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

You heard it here first. Alansplodge (talk) 12:38, 4 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]