run down the clock
verb1
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Idiomatic To waste time at the end of a match such that it is terminated by running out of time, or during a match so a time penalty is made less severe.
- Energetic Malouda was denied twice by Jussi Jaaskelainen late on before Ancelotti ran down the clock by introducing Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira in the closing seconds as Chelsea arrested their slide.2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC:
- Synonyms
- run out the clock, run the clock down