The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 plus 5 letter word STEPPING STONE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
T
E
P
P
I
N
G
S
T
O
N
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Point of procedure/on which to put one's foot down?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case point of procedure/on which to put one's foot down? = stepping stone.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does STEPPING STONE mean?
STEPPING STONE noun- A stone that can be stepped on in crossing something, especially a marsh or creek.
- Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.