The recent Cowboys playoff game demonstrates why stopping the clock on first downs is a good idea. In these end of game situations it allows the team to run a play up the middle for a big gain and potentially get one more play. By stopping the clock, the crew gets a chance to spot the ball without the problems that occurred in that game. There may be a benefit to stopping the clock on first downs only in the last 2 minutes of each half, but why fix what is not broke.
The original purpose for stopping the clock for a new series had nothing to do with spotting the ball, in, and of, itself. That was back when, even in the NFL, the ball was declared ready with a whistle/wind after the chains had been moved to the succeeding spot. The amount of time it took to move the chains was significant-to-substantial, which did, in fact, impact play of the game. Thus, it was only fair to stop the game clock, get the chains moved, then re-start the game clock, and start the play clock.
Today, in NCAA, with the automatic 40-second play clock, we don't wait for the chains to get set to re-start the game clock (which does require the box man to hustle to the succeeding spot, but that's another story). BY RULE, we are to re-start the game clock when the ball is
ready-for-play, as defined (ball spotted by an official and the official steps away to their position). However, as we have been noting, the
directed CFO practice is to re-start the game clock ASAP after the previous down, only making sure that there is no likely impediment to getting the ball spotted. So, the amount of time the game clock is stopped is, sometimes, very, very brief - perhaps only a couple of seconds, in many cases. The door is open for severe criticism, should a team be denied an opportunity to snap the ball before the clock expires and the ball has yet to be spotted, even though the crew may be operating with 100% consistency in how they manage spotting the ball and re-starting the clock. They may be consistent, but they aren't following the rule. By the opposite token, they may be open for severe criticism by being inconsistent, should they allow a team an opportunity to snap the ball, after waiting for the ball to be spotted (for any of a variety of reasons) before re-starting the game clock.
The NFL avoids this issue, by having the game clock simply continue to run. This is fair and equal for both teams. The ball still must be spotted by a game official. The snapper doesn't get to spot the ball. That takes time, just as it does for every down. If the clock expires before Team A can get the ball snapped, or, as in the Cowboys' case, they are able to get the ball snapped, but the clock expires during the down (however brief the down may be), that is just their tough luck. Get better. Teams can help themselves by getting the ball to a game official immediately after the down, and clearing a path to allow the ball to be spotted. The crew in the Cowboys' game did the very best that any crew could have done. They did it right.
If the direction from the CFO is to get the clock re-started ASAP after a first down, in spite of the current rule, then stopping the clock at all is virtually pointless. The NCAA should seriously consider adopting the NFL rule. Or, tell TV, "Too bad. We're waiting for the ball to be spotted before we re-start the game clock. Get over it. Charge your sponsors more."