Mike Lowe
11-11-2025, 09:54 AM
I think I also confirmed this with ChatGPT, but saw something weird happen at the end of the 1st half in a game I was watching:
Me to ChatGPT: I'm not sure why the 1st half ended after this false start penalty. This is for the game Front Office Football which simulates the NFL. I was thinking maybe there's a 10-second runoff, but Arizona had called a timeout prior to the play. Seems odd that the half just ended without a FG attempt.
Here is the gamelog for that series of plays:
1-10-NO45 (2Q: 00:48) Kyler Murray pass was completed to WR Zay Jones for 9 yards. Tackled by CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Arizona called a time out
2-1-NO36 (2Q: 00:36) Kyler Murray pass was completed to RB Emari Demercado for 15 yards. Tackled by OLB Cameron Jordan, assisted by CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. Demercado gained 3 yards after the catch.
Arizona called a time out
1-10-NO21 (2Q: 00:26) Kyler Murray pass was completed to TE Trey McBride for 3 yards. Tackled by ILB Pete Werner. McBride gained 7 yards after the catch.
Arizona called a time out
2-7-NO18 (2Q: 00:03) PENALTY: P Blake Gillikin of Arizona was called for False Start.
Start of Third Quarter
(3Q: 15:00) Chad Ryland kicked off 67 yards from the ARI35. Alontae Taylor returned the ball 32 yards to the NO30. Tackled by Trey McBride.
Possession to New Orleans
Response from ChatGPT: Yeah, based on that log, your reasoning makes sense — it does look odd that the half just ends right there. Let’s break it down carefully:
Last few plays before halftime (summarized):
0:48 — Arizona completes a 9-yard pass (timeout called).
0:36 — 15-yard pass (timeout called).
0:26 — 3-yard pass (timeout called).
0:03 — False start penalty on Arizona (2nd & 7 at NO18).
Then halftime.
Here’s what likely happened under Front Office Football’s internal clock logic:
The false start used up the remaining clock.
Even though the penalty itself wouldn’t normally run time off the clock in real life, some FOF versions have a bug or simplified clock handling that doesn’t reset the play clock properly. It may have treated that as a live-play infraction where the last three seconds expired before the next snap.
10-second runoff wouldn’t apply here if Arizona had called a timeout before the play — and they did. So that’s not it.
No FG attempt — given the spot (NO18), it’s about a 35-yard attempt, so the offense should’ve had time. My guess is the game engine triggered the false start, and instead of resetting the clock, it jumped straight to halftime because the clock hit 0:00 internally during the penalty resolution.
So, the most probable explanation:
It’s a simulation edge case or timing glitch where the penalty consumed the final seconds, and the game didn’t allow for a post-penalty snap.
If this happens again, check the time left before the snap — sometimes FOF silently lets the play clock run down to the exact game clock when you’re trying to get a final play off, especially if the AI decides “no time to spike or kick.”
Me to ChatGPT: I'm not sure why the 1st half ended after this false start penalty. This is for the game Front Office Football which simulates the NFL. I was thinking maybe there's a 10-second runoff, but Arizona had called a timeout prior to the play. Seems odd that the half just ended without a FG attempt.
Here is the gamelog for that series of plays:
1-10-NO45 (2Q: 00:48) Kyler Murray pass was completed to WR Zay Jones for 9 yards. Tackled by CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Arizona called a time out
2-1-NO36 (2Q: 00:36) Kyler Murray pass was completed to RB Emari Demercado for 15 yards. Tackled by OLB Cameron Jordan, assisted by CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. Demercado gained 3 yards after the catch.
Arizona called a time out
1-10-NO21 (2Q: 00:26) Kyler Murray pass was completed to TE Trey McBride for 3 yards. Tackled by ILB Pete Werner. McBride gained 7 yards after the catch.
Arizona called a time out
2-7-NO18 (2Q: 00:03) PENALTY: P Blake Gillikin of Arizona was called for False Start.
Start of Third Quarter
(3Q: 15:00) Chad Ryland kicked off 67 yards from the ARI35. Alontae Taylor returned the ball 32 yards to the NO30. Tackled by Trey McBride.
Possession to New Orleans
Response from ChatGPT: Yeah, based on that log, your reasoning makes sense — it does look odd that the half just ends right there. Let’s break it down carefully:
Last few plays before halftime (summarized):
0:48 — Arizona completes a 9-yard pass (timeout called).
0:36 — 15-yard pass (timeout called).
0:26 — 3-yard pass (timeout called).
0:03 — False start penalty on Arizona (2nd & 7 at NO18).
Then halftime.
Here’s what likely happened under Front Office Football’s internal clock logic:
The false start used up the remaining clock.
Even though the penalty itself wouldn’t normally run time off the clock in real life, some FOF versions have a bug or simplified clock handling that doesn’t reset the play clock properly. It may have treated that as a live-play infraction where the last three seconds expired before the next snap.
10-second runoff wouldn’t apply here if Arizona had called a timeout before the play — and they did. So that’s not it.
No FG attempt — given the spot (NO18), it’s about a 35-yard attempt, so the offense should’ve had time. My guess is the game engine triggered the false start, and instead of resetting the clock, it jumped straight to halftime because the clock hit 0:00 internally during the penalty resolution.
So, the most probable explanation:
It’s a simulation edge case or timing glitch where the penalty consumed the final seconds, and the game didn’t allow for a post-penalty snap.
If this happens again, check the time left before the snap — sometimes FOF silently lets the play clock run down to the exact game clock when you’re trying to get a final play off, especially if the AI decides “no time to spike or kick.”