NCAA football rules changes: some ok, some stupid
By Finrod Comments (3) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I rarely go to ajc.com any more (long story); but I happened to run across this article about changes to the NCAA football rules:
In an attempt to produce more plays and points in a shorter game, the rules committee went back to the drawing board and on Wednesday recommended a few changes for the upcoming season.
Okay, let's see what they came up with.
The first is the implementation of a 40/25-second play clock, similar to that of the NFL. At the end of every play, the 40-second clock will start, which is the rule in the NFL. The old college rules featured a 25-second clock that did not start until the officials marked the ball ready for play. On a change of possession, the first play will be run on a 25-second clock.
A number of college coaches have said they wanted the 40-second play clock because officials from league to league used different amounts of time to mark the ball ready for play.
This sounds decent enough. Standardize things so that everyone knows what to expect.
The rules committee made another recommendation that will certainly shorten the game.
After a player runs out of bounds and the ball is made ready to play, the official will start the game clock. Under the old rules the game clock would not start until the ball was snapped. This new rule will not apply in the final two minutes of the first half and the final two minutes of the game.
This is boneheaded, nearly on the same level as the alternating possession rule in college basketball. Since college football doesn't have the two-minute warning any more, what will happen when someone runs out of bounds with 2:01 in the second quarter? Will it continue to run down? If so, would we see someone deliberately try to not run out of bounds until after the clock passes 2:00 so that the clock will stop? If not, then why not just reinstitute the two minute warning, since part of the time the clock will stop at 2:00 and part of the time it won't?
Some decent rulechanges:
• A coach will get an extra instant replay challenge if his first one is upheld. Under the old rule the coach had only one challenge whether he was right or wrong. Under the new rule the coach, if he's right, will get one extra challenge, but no more.
• If a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team will have the option of taking the ball on its own 40-yard line. The previous rule gave the receiving team the ball on the 35-yard line.
• A "horse collar" tackle, where the defender grabs inside the back collar of the shoulder pads to pull the runner down, will now be a personal foul.
And one not so decent:
• The incidental five-yard facemask penalty will be eliminated. Only the 15-yard facemask penalties will be called.
The NCAA is going the opposite of the NFL on this one. The 5-yard incidental facemask was added to the NFL a number of years ago because 15 yards for a minor infraction like that is just overkill. I don't know why the NCAA is stupidly going in the opposite direction.
Facemask rule change
by Darin H
If I read it correctly, it's not that they are going back to the old rule, it's that they are keeping the 15 yards for a major facemask and just eliminating the 5 yard penalty. I don't think they will be calling the 15 yard penalty for incidental facemask.
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hmmm
by Dienekes
still not sure I like that. there's still too much subjectivity between a 5 yd and a 15 yd penalty, now when they're trying to decide between 15 and NONE? the NFL especially already calls way too many 15-yd facemasks that should be 5-yds (I dont watch as much college football, so I cant say with as much certainty, but I imagine if anything they're even more overprotective, though probably more evenly rather than for "star" players or teams). Don't get me wrong, I imagine facemask is one of the more difficult penalties to call, but the refs are also just really bad at calling it (probably the only thing they're worse at is holding calls. well, maybe pass interferene too).
bottom line, IMO, is that there is a place for the 5-yd variety. don't get rid of it, just get it right. (yes, I know, wish in one hand...)
I like the keeping the clock running when the player goes out of bounds but for the last two minutes of each half.
The game clock is stopped until the ball is set, so it's not like the clock is running continuously. Plus in the NCAA the clock stops also after first downs. I think that gives teams plenty of time to run any two minute drill.
And it'll cut down on the 3:45 minute games.
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