Running out the clock
In American football, each quarter of a game is measured with a 15-minute game clock, or 12-minute clock in many high school football codes and the German Football League. A team in possession of the lead and the ball will attempt to use up as much of the game clock as possible in order to bring the game to an end more quickly, thus denying the opposition another chance on offense.
List of gridiron football rules
Quarters were shortened to two minutes (default setting) with a faster running timer than real time. For most releases, a first down meant you would have to go 30 yards, instead of ten yards.