NCAA Rules Committee Proposals for 2014 Season

[Dommer1]

More on unhappy coaches:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140213/rule-change-no-huddle-ncaa/

[Magician]

With the 40 second clock running, the ball is actually RFP as soon as it is set down. It just can't be snapped for those first 10 seconds. Go figure.

It appears Rogers supports this change.  If it doesn't pass maybe we get a direction to make sure we are all set before the umpire backs away from the ball.  Maybe that process takes around 9-10 seconds.  The umpire ultimately controls the pace and 10 seconds is pretty quick.  I also wonder if some of these coaches opposing it realize it wouldn't affect them that much.

[TXMike]

I don't think RR is all that fired up about this 10 sec change. His comments suggest he thinks it is a whole lot  about nothing.  That being said, he will not be the 1st editor who had to implement something the Committee wanted but that he did not think warranted inclusion.    I would not be surprised if the proponents  can't come up with some empirical safety-related  "proof" that the change was needed that the PROP disallows it. 

[bossman72]

As TNofficial pointed out earlier, the safety issue is the ability to replace an exhausted defender as that player may be more prone to incurring an injury. This may or may not be a legitimate argument. I'm quite confident that the true motivation for those coaches supporting it is their concern that the exhausted player won't be able to defend as well as the fresh legs they want to send in as subs.

This rule is mainly referring to defensive linemen.  Yet the offensive linemen are out there every play and it's not a safety issue... makes no sense to me.

Plus, if the offense subs, the defense can match up.  The rule doesn't need changed.

[Johnponz]

I do not believe this is mainly referring to linemen.  The issue here is that the offense can totally prevent the defense from subbing and they do not even have to rush.  All A has to do is go to the line and delay snapping the ball without subbing.  This effectively stops B from subbing because they could easily get caught with 12 on the field during the process or have to play with 10 if A snaps the ball in the middle of the substitution.  A can stop B from subbing without actually snapping the ball quicker just by not subbing themselves.  This seems unfair.

I read the article, and I do not agree that it is a tenant of football that A snaps the B has to react.  Not so long ago, NCAA had a ready whistle like NFHS and neither side could snap until the R blew the RFP.  The defense could freely sub prior to the RFP.

[TXMike]

The defense was still limited in subbing even with the RFP.  Once a possession had started, R's would not wait for B to finish subbing before blowing the RFP.

[BoBo]

If B is that tired and needs to get a sub there is a thing called a TIMEOUT they can always use. They are allowed 3 a half, maybe get the big fatties upfront in shape as well.  Quit recruiting guys that way over 320 pounds.

I ref at the D-III level and my umpire and I try to have the ball set by 32 seconds.

Play gets over have to get the spot, then get the ball relayed in. I would like to know what the average time is getting the ball set for the next play. I would be amazed if its quicker than 35 seconds on the clock.  I feel we bust our bet to hit 30-32 seconds. 

So in reality the same speed of offenses is going to be kept.

Maybe the defense coaches need to have subs ready right after the play and get them in as fast as they can.

I do not think this is play safety at all. Like the second article states Alabama and Arkansas are old school teams that run some of the fewest plays per game and they don't like they are getting beat

I hope the committee has balls to stand up and say No its not going to change

[Dommer1]

I must be missing something. You take 32 seconds from the ball is dead until you have spotted the ball? Surely not, but that's how I read what you wrote.

[Etref]

Would seem to be kind of slow. We average 13-16 seconds in HS with a five man crew and 8 year old ball boys.

[jg-me]

I read it to mean 32 seconds remaining on a 40 second play clock.

[Dommer1]

That makes sense.

Should have figured that one out on my own, really couldn't have been anything else. 

[BoBo]

Yes i am sorry our goal is to have the ball spotted with 32 seconds to go on the play clock

[Magician]

Yes i am sorry our goal is to have the ball spotted with 32 seconds to go on the play clock

My goal is 28-32 and that probably happens 95% of the time.  Anything beyond that is usually due to addressing some kind of extra-curricular or a ball boy delay.  I try to look most of the time and especially if it seems like we've had an extra delay and need to reset the play clock.  In the past 3 years I think we've only done that once.

I think we can be in too much of a hurry.  We still have to dead ball officiate and if our only goal is to get the ball spotted we are going to miss something.  I really learned this when I worked as a deep wing, but it applies as umpire as well.

[TXMike]

Definitely something we need to reinforce with our guys in Texas as we transition to this next season.  It would be easy to get so focused on getting the ball spotted that we neglect things we should be looking at. 

[Arbitrator]

With the 40 second clock running, the ball is actually RFP as soon as it is set down. It just can't be snapped for those first 10 seconds. Go figure.

 

The only feasible mechanic that I could possibly envision regarding this would be for the U to place the ball down at the LOS spot, and then to stand over the ball, until such time that the "shot clock" hits 29, and then to quickly get himself out of there before the ball is snapped. Ultimately meaning that we're going to need faster Umpires!   

[NVFOA_Ump]

The only feasible mechanic that I could possibly envision regarding this would be for the U to place the ball down at the LOS spot, and then to stand over the ball, until such time that the "shot clock" hits 29, and then to quickly get himself out of there before the ball is snapped. Ultimately meaning that we're going to need faster Umpires!   

We're "quicker" not faster!

[TXMike]

I don't envision that degree of interference with the snap.  It should be sufficient to let them in know in pregame there will be times when they cannot snap until play clock gets to 29. In those times, you will verbally alert them (snapper and QB) and use a hand signal to hold them up.  Drop it at 29.  If they ignore and snap, they get a delay of game penalty. 

[Ump62]

Just because a rule change is recommended doesn't mean it will pass...
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/rules-chair-rule-safety-issue-22571107

[Morningrise]

The only feasible mechanic that I could possibly envision regarding this would be for the U to place the ball down at the LOS spot, and then to stand over the ball, until such time that the "shot clock" hits 29, and then to quickly get himself out of there before the ball is snapped. Ultimately meaning that we're going to need faster Umpires!

No U mechanic is necessary. Players can simply check the play clock to determine whether they can legally snap, and if they screw up, the B blows and throws.

The B's job gets a little harder - now he has to keep an eye on the play clock while also determining his key. Perhaps this call could go to the S or F, since they can find their key much more easily, almost instantaneously.

The hard part for the U is the rule we already have, when Team A substitutes and then the U *does* have to move and communicate that they're not allowed to snap.

[TXMike]

More on the tabling of the 10 second slowdown

http://archive.ksdk.com/usatoday/sports/6036617/Rules-Committee-drops-slow-down-proposal-?usatref=sportsmod