<P> The origins are from the early years in the NFL when the official game time was kept by a member of the officiating crew , with the stadium clock being unofficial . Its purpose was a checkpoint to ensure that the teams knew how much time remained in the game . In the early 1960 's the upstart American Football League made the stadium clock the official game time , a change followed later in the decade by the NFL . By then , television was an important factor in professional football , so the two - minute warning was retained as a commercial break and to serve as `` tension building '' time , and thus has become an important part of the game 's flow . </P>
<P> The origins are from the early years in the NFL when the official game time was kept by a member of the officiating crew , with the stadium clock being unofficial . Its purpose was a checkpoint to ensure that the teams knew how much time remained in the game . In the early 1960 's the upstart American Football League made the stadium clock the official game time , a change followed later in the decade by the NFL . By then , television was an important factor in professional football , so the two - minute warning was retained as a commercial break and to serve as `` tension building '' time , and thus has become an important part of the game 's flow . </P>
when did the nfl start the 2 minute warning
when did the nfl start the 2 minute warning
1960 's
1960 's