eli5 why do football coaches call timeouts at the end of a quarter

Question

I understand the basics of football.

Just want to learn more about timeouts specifically.

In: 7

Answer 1

It’s typically right before halftime because there will be a second half kickoff and the end of the game. The end of the first and third quarters the current team retains possession.

So with the pending change of possession/end of the game, teams need to manage the clock to score before the half ends. This can mean doing a few different things, for example incomplete passes, going out of bounds, and timeouts all stop the clock.

There’s also clock management stuff like not huddling and running a “hurry up” offense or intentionally spiking the ball to stop the clock (incomplete pass). If a team wants the clock to keep moving and there isn’t a lot of time left, they might snap the ball and immediately kneel down to keep the clock moving.