Editing Canadian football (section)

== Gameplay ==
{{More citations needed|date=November 2010}}
Teams advance across the field through the execution of quick, distinct plays, which involve the possession of a brown, [[prolate spheroid]] ball with ends tapered to a point. The ball has two one-inch-wide white stripes.

=== Start of play ===
At the beginning of a match, an official tosses a coin and allows the captain of the visiting team to call heads or tails. The captain of the team winning the coin toss is given the option of having first choice, or of deferring first choice to the other captain. The captain making first choice may either choose a) to kick off or receive the kick at the beginning of the half, or b) which direction of the field to play in. The remaining choice is given to the opposing captain. Before the resumption of play in the second half, the captain that did not have first choice in the first half is given first choice. Teams usually choose to defer, so it is typical for the team that wins the coin toss to kick to begin the first half and receive to begin the second.

Play begins at the start of each half with one team place-kicking the ball from its own end of the field: the 35-yard line in the CFL, the 45-yard line in amateur play. Both teams then attempt to catch the ball. The player who recovers the ball may run while holding the ball, or laterally throw the ball to a teammate.

=== Stoppage of play ===
Play stops when the ball carrier's knee, elbow, or any other body part aside from the feet and hands, is forced to the ground (a ''tackle''); when a forward pass is not caught on the fly (during a scrimmage); when a touchdown {{xref|(see: {{slink||Scoring}} below)}} or a field goal is scored; when the ball leaves the playing area by any means (being carried, thrown, or fumbled [[out of bounds]]); or when the ball carrier is in a standing position but can no longer move forwards (called forward progress). If no score has been made, the next play starts from ''scrimmage''.

=== Scrimmage ===
Before [[Line of scrimmage|scrimmage]], an official places the ball at the spot it was at the stop of clock, but no nearer than 24 yards from the sideline or 1 yard from the goal line. The line parallel to the goal line passing through the ball (line from sideline to sideline for the length of the ball) is referred to as the line of scrimmage. This line is similar to "[[no-man's land]]"; players must stay on their respective sides of this line until the play has begun again. For a scrimmage to be valid the team in possession of the football must have seven players, excluding the quarterback, within one yard of the line of scrimmage. The defending team must stay a yard or more back from the line of scrimmage.

[[File:Anthony Calvillo game action, 93rd Grey Cup.jpg|thumb|right|[[Montreal Alouettes]] quarterback [[Anthony Calvillo]] looks down field with the ball during the [[93rd Grey Cup]] game at [[BC Place]] (November 2005)]]
On the field at the beginning of a play are two teams of 12 (and not 11 as in American football). The team in possession of the ball is the offence and the team defending is referred to as the defence.<!-- Canadian spelling uses the "c" --> Play begins with a backwards pass through the legs (the snap) by a member of the offensive team, to another member of the offensive team. This is usually the quarterback or punter, but a "direct snap" to a running back is also not uncommon. If the quarterback or punter receives the ball, he may then do any of the following:
* Run with the ball, attempting to run farther down field (gaining yardage). The ball-carrier may run in any direction he sees fit (including backwards).
* ''[[Drop-kick]]'' the ball, dropping it onto the ground and kicking it on the bounce. (This play is now quite rare in both Canadian and American football.)
* Pass the ball laterally or backwards to a teammate. This play is known as a ''lateral'', and may come at any time on the play. A pass which has any amount of forward momentum is a ''forward pass'' (see below); forward passes are subject to many restrictions which do not apply to laterals.
* ''Hand-off''—hand the ball off to a teammate, typically a halfback or the fullback.
* ''Punt'' the ball; dropping it in the air and kicking it ''before'' it touches the ground. When the ball is punted, only opposing players (the receiving team), the kicker, and anyone behind the kicker when he punted the ball are able to touch the ball, or even go within five yards of the ball until it is touched by an eligible player (the no-yards rule, which is applied to all kicking plays).
* Place the ball on the ground for a ''place kick''
* Throw a ''[[forward pass]]'', where the ball is thrown to a receiver located farther down field (closer to the opponent's goal) than the thrower is. Forward passes are subject to the following restrictions:
** They must be made from ''behind'' the line of scrimmage
** Only one forward pass may be made on a play
** The pass must be made in the direction of an eligible receiver or pass 10 yards after the line of scrimmage

Each play constitutes a ''down''. The offence<!-- Canadian spelling uses the "c" --> must advance the ball at least ten yards towards the opponents' goal line within three downs or forfeit the ball to their opponents. Once ten yards have been gained the offence gains a new set of three downs (rather than the four downs given in American football). Downs do not accumulate. If the offensive team completes 10 yards on their first play, they lose the other two downs and are granted another set of three. If a team fails to gain ten yards in two downs they usually punt the ball on third down or try to kick a [[Field goal (football)|field goal]] {{xref|(see: [[#Field goal|Field goal]] below)}}, depending on their position on the field. The team may, however use its third down in an attempt to advance the ball and gain a cumulative 10 yards.

=== Change in possession ===
The ball changes possession in the following instances:
* If the offence scores a field goal, the scored-against team can either scrimmage from its 35-yard line or have the scoring team kickoff from its 35-yard line.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl-introduces-4-rule-changes-for-2009-season-1.852584 |title=CFL introduces 4 rule changes for 2009 season |publisher= Canadian Broadcasting Company |access-date=13 July 2010 | date=2009-05-11}}</ref>
* If a team scores a touchdown, the scoring team must kickoff from their own 35-yard line.
* If the defence scores on a safety (bringing the ball down in the offence's own end zone), they have the right to claim possession.
* If one team kicks the ball; the other team has the right to recover the ball and attempt a return. If a kicked ball goes out of bounds, or the kicking team scores a single or field goal as a result of the kick, the other team likewise gets possession.
* If the offence fails to make ten yards in three plays, the defence ''takes over on downs''.
* If the offence attempts a forward pass and it is ''intercepted'' by the defence, the defence takes possession immediately (and may try to advance the ball on the play). Incomplete forward passes (those which go out of bounds, or which touch the ground without being first cleanly caught by a player) result in the end of the play, and are not returnable by either team.
* If the offence ''fumbles'' (a ball carrier drops the football, or has it dislodged by an opponent, or if the intended player fails to catch a lateral pass or a snap from centre, or a kick attempt is blocked by an opponent), the ball may be recovered (and advanced) by either team. If a fumbled ball goes out of bounds, the team whose player last touched it is awarded possession at the spot where it went out of bounds. A fumble by the offence in their own end zone, which goes out of bounds, results in a safety.
* When the first half ends, the team which kicked to start the first half will receive a kickoff to start the second half.
* After the three-minute warning near the end of each half, the offence can lose possession for a time count violation (failure to legally put the ball into play within the 20-second duration of the play clock). However, this can only occur if three specific criteria are met:<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.cflofficials.ca/docs/2015%20Rule%20Book%20English.pdf |chapter=Rule 1, Section 7, Article 9: Time Count |title=The Official Playing Rules for the Canadian Football League 2015 |publisher=Canadian Football League |pages=18–19 |access-date=December 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222133157/http://www.cflofficials.ca/docs/2015%20Rule%20Book%20English.pdf |archive-date=December 22, 2015 }}</ref>
** The offence committed a time count violation on its last attempted scrimmage play.
** This prior violation took place on third down.
** The referee deemed said violation to be deliberate, and warned the offence that it had to legally place the ball into play within the 20-second clock or lose possession. Such a loss of possession is statistically treated as the defence taking over on downs.

=== Rules of contact ===
There are many rules to contact in this type of football. The only player on the field who may be legally tackled is the player currently in possession of the football (the ball carrier). On a passing play a receiver, that is to say, an offensive player sent down the field to receive a pass, may not be interfered with (have his motion impeded, be blocked, etc.) unless he is within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Prior to a pass that goes beyond the line of scrimmage, a defender may not be impeded more than one yard past that line. Otherwise, any player may block another player's passage, so long as he does not hold or trip the player he intends to block. The kicker may not be contacted after the kick but before his kicking leg returns to the ground (this rule is not enforced upon a player who has blocked a kick). The quarterback may not be hit or tackled after throwing the ball, nor may he be hit while in the pocket (i.e. behind the offensive line) prior to that point below the knees or above the shoulders.

=== Infractions and penalties ===
Infractions of the rules are punished with ''penalties'', typically a loss of yardage of 5, 10 or 15 yards against the penalized team. Minor violations such as ''offside'' (a player from either side encroaching into scrimmage zone before the play starts) are penalized five yards, more serious penalties (such as holding) are penalized 10 yards, and severe violations of the rules (such as face-masking [grabbing the face mask attached to a player's helmet]) are typically penalized 15 yards. Depending on the penalty, the penalty yardage may be assessed from the original line of scrimmage, from where the violation occurred (for example, for a pass interference infraction), or from where the ball ended after the play. Penalties on the offence may, or may not, result in a loss of down; penalties on the defence may result in a first down being automatically awarded to the offence. For particularly severe conduct, the game official(s) may eject players (ejected players may be substituted for), or in exceptional cases, declare the game over and award victory to one side or the other. Penalties do not affect the yard line which the offence must reach to gain a first down (unless the penalty results in a first down being awarded); if a penalty against the defence results in the first down yardage being attained, then the offence is awarded a first down.

If the defence is penalized on a two-point convert attempt and the offence chooses to attempt the play again, the offence must attempt another two-point convert; it cannot change to a one-point attempt. Conversely, the offence can attempt a two-point convert following a defensive penalty on a one-point attempt.

Penalties may occur before a play starts (such as offside), during the play (such as holding), or in a dead-ball situation (such as [[unsportsmanlike conduct]]).

Penalties never result in a score for the offence. For example, a point-of-foul infraction committed by the defence in their end zone is not ruled a touchdown, but instead advances the ball to the one-yard line with an automatic first down. For a distance penalty, if the yardage is greater than half the distance to the goal line, then the ball is advanced half the distance to the goal line, though only up to the one-yard line (unlike American football, in Canadian football no scrimmage may start inside either one-yard line). If the original penalty yardage would have resulted in a first down or moving the ball past the goal line, a first down is awarded.

In most cases, the non-penalized team will have the option of ''declining'' the penalty; in which case the results of the previous play stand as if the penalty had not been called. One notable exception to this rule is if the kicking team on a 3rd down punt play is penalized before the kick occurs: the receiving team may not decline the penalty and take over on downs. After the kick is made, change of possession occurs and subsequent penalties are assessed against either the spot where the ball is caught, or the runback.

=== Kicking ===
Canadian football distinguishes four ways of kicking the ball:

; [[Place kick]]: Kicking a ball held on the ground by a teammate, or, on a kickoff, optionally placed on a [[Tee#Kicking tee|tee]] (two different tees are used for kickoffs and convert/field goal attempts).
; [[Drop kick]]: Kicking a ball after bouncing it on the ground. Although rarely used today, it has the same status in scoring as a place kick. This play is part of the game's [[Rugby football|rugby]] heritage, and was largely made obsolete when the ball with pointed ends was adopted. Unlike the American game, Canadian rules allow a drop kick to be attempted at any time by any player, but the move is very rare.
; [[Punt (gridiron football)|Punt]]: Kicking the ball after it has been released from the kicker's hand and before it hits the ground. Punts may not score a field goal, even if one should travel through the uprights. As with drop kicks, players may punt at any time.
; Dribbled ball: A dribbled ball is one that has been kicked while not in possession of a player, for example, a loose ball following a fumble, a blocked kick, a kickoff, or a kick from scrimmage. The kicker of the dribbled ball and any player onside when the ball was kicked may legally recover the ball.

On any kicking play, all onside players (the kicker, and teammates behind the kicker at the time of the kick) may recover and advance the ball. Players on the kicking team who are not onside may not approach within five yards of the ball until it has been touched by the receiving team, or by an onside teammate.

=== Scoring ===
The methods of scoring are:

; Touchdown : Achieved when the ball is in possession of a player in the opponent's end zone, or when the ball in the possession of a player crosses or touches the plane of the opponent's goal-line, worth 6 points (5 points until 1956). A touchdown in Canadian football is often referred to as a "major score" or simply a "major".
; Conversion (or convert) : After a touchdown, the team that scored gets one scrimmage play to attempt to add one or two more points. If they make what would normally be a field goal, they score one point (a "point-after"); what would normally be a touchdown scores two points (a "two-point conversion"). In amateur games, this scrimmage is taken at the opponents' 5-yard line. The CFL formerly ran all conversion attempts from the 5-yard line as well (for a 12-yard kick), but starting in 2015 the line of scrimmage for one-point kick attempts became the 25-yard line (for a 32-yard kick), while two-point attempts are scrimmaged at the 3-yard line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2015/04/08/major-rule-changes-approved-by-cfl-governors/|title=Major rule changes approved by CFL Governors|date=8 April 2015|work=cfl.ca}}</ref> No matter what happens on the convert attempt, play then continues with a kickoff (see below).
; {{vanchor|Field goal}} : Scored by a drop kick or place kick (except on a kickoff) when the ball, after being kicked and without again touching the ground, goes over the cross bar and between the goal posts (or between lines extended from the top of the goal posts) of the opponent's goal, worth three points. If the ball hits the upright above the cross-bar before going through, it is not considered a dead ball, and the points are scored. (Rule 5, Sect 4, Art 4(d)) If the field goal is missed, but the ball is not returnable after crossing the dead-ball-line, then it constitutes a ''rouge'' (see below).
; Safety : Scored when the ball becomes dead in the possession of a team in its own goal area, or when the ball touches or crosses the dead-line, or side-line-in-goal and touches the ground, a player, or some object beyond these lines as a result of the team scored against making a play. It is worth two points. This is different from a ''single'' (see below) in that the team scored against begins with possession of the ball. The most common safety is on a third down punt from the end zone, in which the kicker decides not to punt and keeps the ball in his team's own goal area. The ball is then turned over to the receiving team (who gained the two points), by way of a kickoff from the 25-yard line or scrimmaging from the {{convert|35|yd|adj=on}} line on their side of the field.
; [[Single (football)|Single (rouge)]] : Scored when the ball becomes dead in the possession of a team in its own goal area, or when the ball touches or crosses the dead-line, or side-line-in-goal, and touches the ground, a player, or some object beyond these lines as a result of the ball having been kicked from the field of play into the goal area by the scoring team. It is worth one point. This is different from a Safety (see above) in that team scored against receives possession of the ball after the score.
:Officially, the single is called a ''rouge'' ([[French language|French]] for "red") but is often referred to as a single. The exact derivation of the term is unknown, but it has been thought that in early Canadian football, the scoring of a single was signalled with a red flag. A ''rouge'' is also a method of scoring in the [[Eton field game]], which dates from at least 1815.

==== Resumption of play ====
Resumption of play following a score is conducted under procedures which vary with the type of score.
* Following a touchdown and convert attempt (successful or not), play resumes with the scoring team kicking off from its own 35-yard line (45-yard line in amateur leagues).
* Following a field goal, the non-scoring team may choose for play to resume either with a kickoff as above, or by scrimmaging the ball from its own 35-yard line.
* Following a safety, the scoring team may choose for play to resume in either of the above ways, or it may choose to kick off from its own 35-yard line.
* Following a [[Single (football)|single/rouge]], play resumes with the non-scoring team scrimmaging from its own 35-yard line (Football Canada rules) or 40-yard line (CFL rules). If the single is awarded on a missed field goal, the non-scoring team has the option to scrimmage from the yard line from which the field goal was attempted.

=== Game timing ===
The game consists of two 30-minute halves, each of which is divided into two 15-minute quarters. The clock counts down from 15:00 in each quarter. Timing rules change when there are three minutes remaining in a half.
A short break interval of 2 minutes occurs after the end of each quarter (a longer break of 15 minutes at halftime), and the two teams then change goals.

In the first 27 minutes of a half, the clock stops when:
* Points are scored,
* The ball goes out of bounds,
* A forward pass is incomplete,
* The ball is dead and a penalty flag has been thrown,
* The ball is dead and teams are making substitutions (e.g., possession has changed, punting situation, short yardage situation),
* The ball is dead and a player is injured, or
* The ball is dead and a captain or a coach calls a [[sport time-out|time-out]].

The clock starts again when the referee determines the ball is ready for scrimmage, except for team time-outs (where the clock starts at the snap), after a time count foul (at the snap) and kickoffs (where the clock starts not at the kick but when the ball is first touched after the kick).

In the last three minutes of a half, the clock stops whenever the ball becomes dead. On kickoffs, the clock starts when the ball is first touched after the kick. On scrimmages, when it starts depends on what ended the previous play. The clock starts when the ball is ready for scrimmage except that it starts on the snap when on the previous play:
* The ball was kicked off,
* The ball was punted,
* The ball changed possession,
* The ball went out of bounds,
* There were points scored,
* There was an incomplete forward pass,
* There was a penalty applied (not declined), or
* There was a team time-out.

During the last three minutes of a half, the penalty for failure to place the ball in play within the 20-second play clock, known as a "time count violation" (this foul is known as "delay of game" in American football), is dramatically different from during the first 27 minutes. Instead of the penalty being 5 yards with the down repeated, the base penalty (except during convert attempts) becomes loss of down on first or second down, and 10 yards on third down with the down repeated. In addition, as noted previously, the referee can give possession to the defence for repeated deliberate time count violations on third down.

The clock does not run during convert attempts in the last three minutes of a half. If the 15 minutes of a quarter expire while the ball is live, the quarter is extended until the ball becomes dead. If a quarter's time expires while the ball is dead, the quarter is extended for one more scrimmage. A quarter cannot end while a penalty is pending: after the penalty yardage is applied, the quarter is extended one scrimmage. The non-penalized team has the option to ''decline'' any penalty it considers disadvantageous, so a losing team cannot indefinitely prolong a game by repeatedly committing infractions.

=== Overtime ===
In the CFL, if the game is tied at the end of regulation play, then each team is given an equal number of offensive possessions to break the tie. A coin toss is held to determine which team will take possession first; the first team scrimmages the ball at the opponent's 35-yard line and conducts a series of downs until it scores or loses possession. If the team scores a touchdown, starting with the 2010 season, it is required to attempt a two-point conversion.<ref name="TSN-Rules2010">{{cite web|author = The Canadian Press |author-link= The Canadian Press |title = CFL approves rule requiring two-point convert attempts in OT |publisher = CTVglobemedia |date = 2010-04-14 |url = http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=317959 |access-date = 18 April 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606233533/http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=317959 |archive-date = 2011-06-06 |url-status = dead}}</ref> The other team then scrimmages the ball at the opponent's 35-yard line and has the same opportunity to score. After the teams have completed their possessions, if one team is ahead, then it is declared the winner; otherwise, the two teams each get another chance to score, scrimmaging from the other 35-yard line. After this second round, if there is still no winner, during the regular season the game ends as a tie. In a playoff game, the teams continue to attempt to score from alternating 35-yard lines, until one team is leading after both have had an equal number of possessions.

In U Sports football, for the [[Uteck Bowl]], [[Mitchell Bowl]], and [[Vanier Cup]], the same overtime procedure is followed until there is a winner.

===Officials and fouls===
{{See also|Official (Canadian football)|Chain crew|Penalty (gridiron football)}}

Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a [[whistle]] and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black caps except for the referee, whose cap is white.{{clarify |date=March 2020 |reason=Are these colours used in amateur play? }} Each carries a [[Penalty flag|weighted orange flag]] that is thrown to the ground to signal that a [[Penalty (gridiron football)|foul]] has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their cap as a secondary signal.<ref name="American Football Officials">{{cite web|url=http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/american-football-officials.html|title=American Football Officials|last1=Long|first1=Howie|last2=Czarnecki|first2=John|author-link1=Howie Long|publisher=[[For Dummies|Dummies.com]]|access-date=November 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127034309/http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/american-football-officials.html|archive-date=November 27, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the university level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities:<ref name="American Football Officials" />
[[File:First down marker.png|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph of a down indicator box on a pole | A modern down indicator box is mounted on a pole and is used to mark the current line of scrimmage. The number on the marker is changed using a dial.]]
* The '''referee''' is positioned behind and to the side of the offensive backs. The referee is charged with oversight and control of the game and is the authority on the score, the down number, and any rule interpretations in discussions among the other officials. The referee announces all penalties and discusses the infraction with the offending team's captain, monitors for illegal hits against the quarterback, makes requests for first-down measurements, and notifies the head coach whenever a player is ejected. The referee positions themselves to the passing arm side of the quarterback. In most games, the referee is responsible for spotting the football prior to a play from scrimmage.
* The '''umpire''' is positioned in the defensive backfield. The umpire watches play along the line of scrimmage to make sure that no more than 12 offensive players are on the field before the snap. The umpire monitors contact between offensive and defensive linemen and calls most of the [[Holding (American football)|holding]] penalties. The umpire records the number of timeouts taken and the winner of the coin toss and the game score, assists the referee in situations involving possession of the ball close to the line of scrimmage, determines whether player equipment is legal, and dries wet balls prior to the snap if a game is played in rain.
* The '''back judge''' is positioned deep in the defensive backfield, behind the umpire. The back judge ensures that the defensive team has no more than 12 players on the field and determines whether catches are legal, whether field goal or extra point attempts are good, and whether a [[pass interference]] violation occurred. The back judge is also responsible for the play clock, the time between each play, when a visible play clock is not used.
* The '''head linesman'''/'''down judge''' is positioned on one end of the line of scrimmage. The head linesman/down judge watches for any line-of-scrimmage and holding violations and assists the line judge with illegal procedure calls. The head linesman/down judge also rules on out-of-bounds calls that happen on their side of the field, oversees the chain crew and marks the forward progress of a runner when a play has been whistled dead.
* The '''side judge''' is positioned 20 yards downfield of the head linesman. The side judge mainly duplicates the functions of the field judge. On field goal and extra point attempts, the side judge is positioned lateral to the umpire.
* The '''line judge''' is positioned on the end of the line of scrimmage, opposite the head linesman. They supervise player substitutions, the line of scrimmage during punts, and game timing. The line judge notifies the referee when time has expired at the end of a quarter and notifies the head coach of the home team when five minutes remain for halftime. In the CFL, the line judge also alerts the referee when [[three-minute warning|three minutes remain in the half]]. If the clock malfunctions or becomes inoperable, the line judge becomes the official timekeeper.
* The '''field judge''' is positioned 20 yards downfield from the line judge. The field judge monitors and controls the [[play clock]], counts the number of defensive players on the field and watches for offensive pass interference and holding violations by offensive players. The field judge also makes decisions regarding catches, recoveries and the ball spot when a player goes out of bounds. On field goal and extra-point attempts, the field judge is stationed under the upright opposite the back judge.

Another set of officials, the [[chain crew]], is responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with a 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. The chain crew work under the direction of the head linesman and will typically consist of at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker, a large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered to be an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side.<ref name="The Orchestration of the Chain Gang">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/sports/football/01chainside.html|title=The Orchestration of the Chain Gang|last=Branch|first=John|date=December 31, 2008|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=December 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229055115/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/sports/football/01chainside.html|archive-date=December 29, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Severe weather ===
In the CFL, a game must be delayed if lightning strikes within {{convert|10|km|mi|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} of the stadium or for other severe weather conditions, or if dangerous weather is anticipated. In the regular season, if play has not resumed after 1 hour and at least half of the third quarter has been completed, the score stands as final;<ref name="weather">{{cite web| title=CFL Weather Protocol| url=https://www.cfl.ca/weather/| access-date=2019-08-10| publisher=CFL}}</ref> this happened for the first time on August 9, 2019, when a Saskatchewan–Montreal game was stopped late in the third quarter with the score having been finalized where it stood at the time of stoppage: {{nowrap|17–10}} in favor of Saskatchewan.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://leaderpost.com/sports/football/cfl/saskatchewan-roughriders/saskatchewan-roughriders-game-versus-alouettes-delayed-by-thunderstorm| publisher=Regina Leader-Post|title=Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat Montreal Alouettes 17–10 in storm-shortened game versus Montreal Alouettes| date=2019-08-09| access-date=2019-08-10}}</ref>

If the stoppage is earlier in the game, or if it is a playoff or Grey Cup game, play may be stopped for up to 3 hours and then resume. After 3 hours of stoppage, play is terminated at least for the day. A playoff or Grey Cup game must then be resumed the following day at the point where it left off.<ref name="weather"/>

In the regular season, if a game is stopped for 3 hours and one team is leading by at least a certain amount, then that team is awarded a win. The size of lead required is 21, 17, or 13 depending on whether the stoppage is in the first, second, or third quarter respectively. If neither team is leading by that much and they are not scheduled to play again in the season, the game is declared a tie.<ref name="weather"/>

If a regular-season game is stopped for 3 hours and neither team is leading by the required amount to be awarded a win, but the two teams are scheduled to play again later in the season, then the stopped game is decided by a "two-possession shootout" procedure held before the later game is started. The procedure is generally similar to overtime in the CFL, with two major exceptions: each team must play exactly two possessions regardless of what happens; and while the score from the stopped game is not added to the shootout score, it is used instead to determine the yard line where each team starts its possessions, so the team that was leading still has an advantage.<ref name="weather"/>