It seems like the NCAA has proposed to scrap most of the new clock rules put into place last season. Thank God. I didn’t like these rules because they shortened the length of the game, by taking away plays and not bantha fodder (eg sell your soul to the Big Ten commercials). “Last season, the average Division I-A game lasted 3 hours, 7 minutes — 14 minutes shorter than in 2005. In 2006, games averaged 127.5 plays, 14 fewer than a year earlier.” They are also proposing another new set of rules to speed up the game. Kicking off from the 30 will force more return action, big hits and keep the clock moving for a few more seconds. Limiting official review to two minutes is fine by me considering they review every play anyways. Shortening timeout length to 30 seconds and the play clock after a timeout to 15 will also speed things up a bit.
Out of all the rule changes implemented in 2006 the most assisine one had to be starting the clock on kickoffs when the ball is kicked and not when it is fielded. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema showed what a joke it was when the Badgers kept intentionally lining up offsides thus re-kicking to force the end of the half. I am too lazy to check the rules since it is almost midnight, but theoretically if you won the toss, got the ball and then scored first couldn’t you just keep doing what Bielema did and run out the clock? It would be the cheapest and most boring win ever, but still…
1Simon on Feb 19, 2007 at 10:46 am:
Thank the good lord. Those were the dumbest rules of all time.