Football fans everywhere know the excitement of watching a game and keeping up with the score. Whether in a stadium or on television, the scoreboard is the source of information for the current score, time remaining in the game, and other important details. But what does TOL mean on a football scoreboard?
Football Scoreboard Basics
Before getting into what TOL means, it is important to understand the basics of a football scoreboard. Generally, the scoreboard will include the current score, the time remaining in the game, and other important information such as the quarter, down, and yardage. Depending on the game and the stadium, there may be other data available, such as the number of timeouts remaining, the current possession, and even the jersey numbers of the players.
The score is usually the most prominent part of the scoreboard, with the home team’s score listed first and the away team’s score listed second. The time remaining in the game is often listed in minutes and seconds, although some scoreboards may also include the quarter and/or the amount of time left in the current quarter.
What Does TOL Mean?
So what does TOL mean on a football scoreboard? TOL stands for timeouts left, and it is an indication of how many timeouts each team has remaining in the game. Each team is typically allotted three timeouts per half, so if the TOL reads “2-2”, that means both teams have two timeouts remaining.
Timeouts are important for a team to have at their disposal for strategically stopping the clock. They can be used to give the offense more time to plan a play, or to give the defense more time to rest and regroup. They can also be used to “ice” a kicker who is about to attempt a field goal or extra point.
When Are Timeouts Used?
Timeouts are typically used at the end of a close game when a team is trying to preserve the clock, or when they are trying to get a play off before the clock expires. They can also be used to stop the clock if there is a penalty or an injury, or if a coach wants to challenge a call.
Timeouts can be requested by either the head coach or any of the players on the field. However, the head coach is the only one who can use the team’s last timeout. If a team has no timeouts left, they are not allowed to stop the clock and the game will continue until the time expires.
Conclusion
For football fans, the scoreboards can be an important source of information during a game. In addition to the score, the time remaining in the game, and any other pertinent data, the TOL is also displayed. TOL stands for timeouts left and it indicates how many timeouts each team has remaining in the game. Timeouts are important for a team to have at their disposal for strategically stopping the clock, and they can be used for a variety of purposes.