If you’ve seen plenty of commercials or are just waiting for the halftime show, the multiple interruptions to the Super Bowl game may be slightly annoying. None, however, may be more confusing than the two-minute warning twice a game.
At the end of the second and fourth quarters, the game clock hits the two-minute mark for two-minute warnings, which are automatically timeouts in all NFL games. After the two-minute warning, certain clock running rules also take effect.
What is the reason for the NFL stopping games and using different rules when there are only a few minutes left in the half?
The two-minute warning provides another opportunity for commercials, which of course have monetary value, particularly during the Super Bowl. It also has value to teams, who view it as a bonus timeout, according to former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon, who told the Los Angeles Times in 2016.
Despite the modern advantages of more ad time and an extra break, the two-minute rule once served a more crucial purpose.
When pro football games began in the late 1890s, there was no clock for teams and coaches to check, Pro Football Hall of Fame archivist Jon Kendle explained to the LA Times. Instead, officials were advised to notify team captains when time was running out in the half, usually when there were five to ten minutes left (the game had two 45-minute halves at the time).
As years went by, the game got shorter. According to Kendle, the rules were modified in 1942 and the warning was given at the two-minute mark. Seven years later, the rules changed again, calling for a timeout when a two-minute warning is given.
The two-minute warning became less of a warning in the 1960s after the NFL decided to use the stadium clock as the official game clock (that’s why you’ll sometimes see the official ask for the clock to be reset).
As previously mentioned, certain plays have different rules after a two-minute warning.
For example, if there is an injury timeout after the two-minute warning, the team of the injured player will be charged a timeout, if they haven’t already used the three they get per half, according to the NFL rulebook. Teams are also not allowed to commit fouls, such as intentional grounding or throwing an illegal pass, in order to conserve time.
So while your team strategizes on how to use the last two minutes of the half or game, you can take those two minutes to refill your snack plate or check in on your prop bets.
