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Football Officiating => NCAA Discussion => Topic started by: ElvisLives on September 03, 2019, 07:17:36 AM
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The purpose of setting the play clock to 40 following an injury time out for a defensive player is clear and obvious, if the clock will run. But, what is the point of a 40-second clock when the game clock will start on the snap?
Example: B99 intercepts a pass and is tackled and down. After the ball becomes dead, a player of the passing team (former Team A), injured during the down, requires assistance to get off the field. Even if the routine flow of the game is interrupted momentarily, there is no advantage gained by the injured player's team that would be offset by setting the play clock to 40. We'd give the intercepting team reasonable time to get their offense on the field, and get a play called, regardless. So, why waste 15 seconds of real time?
40 seconds might actually be of benefit, by giving the offending team a few extra seconds to rest.
Yeah, it keeps the rule simple. But with so many complaints by nearly everybody with the total length of games, it seems like we should take every opportunity we can to reduce total game time.
The same question applies to the 'helmet off' rule.
Them's the rules for now. But something to think about.
Robert
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I'm sure it's done for simplicity sake. The 40-seconds even with a running clock is also only really impactful late in a half when a team is trying to burn time. It prevents a team from gaining a timing advantage due to a helmet off or injury. In the middle of the 3rd quarter the offense is probably going to snap well before 25 seconds even expires.
Since this only happens once or twice a game it won't have a huge impact on the length of the game. My D3 games average 2:45 to 2:50. D1 televised games are 3:15-3:30. We have just as many incomplete passes, penalty enforcements, scores, etc. The only difference is replay and TV time outs. That's the primary impact ot game length. I don't believe we saw much change last year with the new 40-second play clock after TDs and free kicks, although it's not a bad change.
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Do NCAA teams even take the advantage of the 40 second clock when the game clock is not running? In our neck of the woods, even with visible play clocks (luxury!), teams usually snap at about the 25s mark.
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Do NCAA teams even take the advantage of the 40 second clock when the game clock is not running? In our neck of the woods, even with visible play clocks (luxury!), teams usually snap at about the 25s mark.
Infrequently, but, yes, some do. Sometimes not really deliberately. I've seen delays-of-game in that situation, which boggles my mind.
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Do NCAA teams even take the advantage of the 40 second clock when the game clock is not running? In our neck of the woods, even with visible play clocks (luxury!), teams usually snap at about the 25s mark.
The only time they would do it is at the end of a half if they are trying to consume as much time as possible. But it amounts to the same amount of time as if the helmet off or injury had never happened. Let's say there are 45 seconds left when the 3rd down play starts. At the end of the play and when the 40 second clock starts the game clock is at 39 so they don't need to snap again. At 37 the officials stop the clock due to an injury. Prior to the change in NCAA (and currently in NFHS) the officials would set the play clock to 25 and wind it. That would require the offense to snap it and likely punt it back to the other team giving them one final change. A chance they earned by having an injured player (legitimate or not). That's why they changed both to 40 and kept it simple.
The same thing has always been possible in NFHS with a 25-second clock so it isn't something introduced with the 40-second clock. But with the 40-second clock it gives them option to use something existing if they feel they need to address it.
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The only time they would do it is at the end of a half if they are trying to consume as much time as possible. But it amounts to the same amount of time as if the helmet off or injury had never happened. Let's say there are 45 seconds left when the 3rd down play starts. At the end of the play and when the 40 second clock starts the game clock is at 39 so they don't need to snap again. At 37 the officials stop the clock due to an injury. Prior to the change in NCAA (and currently in NFHS) the officials would set the play clock to 25 and wind it. That would require the offense to snap it and likely punt it back to the other team giving them one final change. A chance they earned by having an injured player (legitimate or not). That's why they changed both to 40 and kept it simple.
I know that, I was talking about the situation where the game clock does not start at the RFP :)
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That reminds me of how DOG is technically a foul that qualifies for a runoff, if the game clock was running, but it's hard to think of a situation where Team B would want the runoff when Team A is the team milking the clock on purpose