Interesting Interp Re Sub Rule

[TXMike]

Has anyone ever heard an interp that says if Team A gets all its subbing done before the crew can get the ball down on the ground so it is ready for the play, the defense does not have to be given a chance to match up?    I just read the rule and I can see how someone could misread it to mean that but I think we all know otherwise....don't we?

[Rulesman]

Are you referring to the New Orleans Bowl last night. Me thinks Solich had a legitimate gripe.

[JasonTX]

The rule is intended to prevent the offense from subbing and then rushing to the line to snap the ball creating an unfair advantage because they haven't given team B time to "match up".  If there is no rush to the line to snap the ball, then team B is not being placed at a disadvantage because they have ample time to "match up".  Once Team A subs, team B needs to react promptly to place their subs.  Depending on how long it takes to get the ball spotted would determine if team B needs more time to sub.  An outright denial of the chance to "match up" would not be correct in my opinion.

[NVFOA_Ump]

I'd agree with Jason - U should be over the ball after A has substituted and allowing B a chance to at least respond.  The fact that A managed to complete substituting before the ball actually got spotted is irrelevant IMO - B still gets time to respond to A's subs.

[zebra99]

Here's our mechanic when dealing with no huddle offenses (and we have many including our conference winner).  The U always starts over the ball if the no huddle team is on offense to be signalled off by the R if:
1.  A does not sub.
2.  If A subs, R holds U and signals with both arms out, looks to B for a short time - if B doesn't sub, R points U off and we go - if B subs, then R waits until B subs are basically ready then points U off.
3.  Sometimes, A will first sub, then bring another sub in, and we have to bring the U back up and hold a second time.
4.  When the R is signalling, so do the wing officials.

It works great and all our coaches know what's happening.

I thought this was the national mechanic?

PS: one team in the BCS big one never huddles and goes very fast!

[TXMike]

Finally had the video sent to me.  Here ya go:

[yt=425,350]aSzb225Rtgs[/yt]

[TxSkyBolt]

Boy, that looked like nothing to me.  Didn't appear to be a quick sub and rush to the line.  I think correctly officiated.

Brad

[Dakota Dan]

At the 0:26 mark you can see the FJ giving the "T" to signal to indicate that the sub process was happening  ... the R should have seen this and pulled the U up and allowed the defense to sub.  If the offense snapped the ball (which they did) the crew should have shut it down and have a "do-over".  The crew should have warned the offense that they needed to wait until told that they were allowed to snap the ball.  The offense should be told, the next time will be a foul on them for DOG.  Since the ball was snapped and no one was over the ball, someone on that crew (deep people) should have seen that there was an unfair advantage and needed to step up and shut it down ...

[NVFOA_Ump]

Multiple plays on this clip had problems with A snapping prior to B having reasonable time to complete the sub process.  Why wasn't U getting over ball?  And who told the announcers that if A's subs happened before the ball was made ready for play that they "didn't have to wait for B to complete their sub process"?

[Kalle]

The last team A substituted player leaves the field at 0.30 and team B immediately responds by sending in a substitute. Team A snaps the ball at 0.37. Is this enough time for team B to really respond? Doesn't look like that to me.

[mccormicw]

College Football Officiating
NCAA Mechanics for Administration of Substitution Rule
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

5.  It is possible for Team A to substitute so late and Team B even when reacting promptly to not be in
position prior to the play clock expiring that a delay of game penalty on the offense is warranted.


7.  If we are delayed in getting to the ball to prevent a snap, we will stop the game and give Team A a
warning that it must allow Team B to match up (“Do-Over”). Further attempts by Team A to create
a defensive disadvantage in this manner will result in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

[Rulesman]

Are you referring to the New Orleans Bowl last night. Me thinks Solich had a legitimate gripe.

After seeing and questioning it when it happened, and after watching the video multiple times, I still think Solich had a legitimate gripe.

[Welpe]

7.  If we are delayed in getting to the ball to prevent a snap, we will stop the game and give Team A a
warning that it must allow Team B to match up (“Do-Over”). Further attempts by Team A to create
a defensive disadvantage in this manner will result in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

Is this a newer guideline?  I seem to remember a USC game a few years back where they did just this and the officials hit them with a DOG foul.

[TX Zebra]

There was a sub, so the U should have been brought up to cover the ball and released as a matter of procedure. That said, the R does not necessarily hold until the defense is "comfortably set", he only has to give the defense an opportunity to match up. Troy's Nascar offense is all about getting the ball off quickly and they do a good job of getting their subs in early - so the amount of time that the defense will ultimately get to match up will be fairly short - and probably shorter than they are used to, if you've never played Troy (or other fast spread teams) before. 

There was a statement that the wings should have shut the play down - wings give the signals indicating subs, but the pace and readiness is at the sole discretion of the R.

In this clip, I agree that the U should have been brought up and released, but probably wouldn't have made much more of a difference than a second or two. And trust me, every team that plays Troy complains about not having enough time to match up. I'm sure there is a similar situation with Oregon and their offense.