4 possible rule changes to speeden the game

[upperdeck]

If commercials are such a thing they why dont they just do more of the commercials where they dont actually cut away.. Nascar has done that in the past.

the Ads people know people are ignoring most of them anyway. Make them shorter and maybe people dont get up and walk away so often. People are not gonna watch them recorded either way so you have to engage the people watching live.

No different than regular tv where you had like 27 min of show to down around 22. Hr shows are more than 10 min shorter.

But its the piling on of break after break that ruins the energy of the game thats the big issue these days.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Why stop the clock on first downs inside 2 minutes? Aren't we still rewarding losing teams by doing this? If you need to stop the clock then save your friggin timeouts. With all the clock stoppages it's like each team has 40 timeouts per game.

If need be, implement the 2 minute warning. But even that I don't understand. Do we really need an official timeout to be alerted to the time remaining?

 

[upperdeck]

Why stop the clock on first downs inside 2 minutes? Aren't we still rewarding losing teams by doing this? If you need to stop the clock then save your friggin timeouts. With all the clock stoppages it's like each team has 40 timeouts per game.

If need be, implement the 2 minute warning. But even that I don't understand. Do we really need an official timeout to be alerted to the time remaining?

actually the 2 min warning was a real thing they had because there was no official clock so like soccer no one really knew how much time was left in the game until this happened and then they knew 2 min was left..

It worked out well because it gave them a natural place to have commercials and pause the game to finish off the half. Its also probably one of the more expensive breaks to make money as it always happens at a time people are less likely to get up and walk away.

And college has a 2 min warning as well, they dont pause the game like the NFL its just done on the field. Doesnt canada still have the 3 min warning?

 

[Stern]

1) A majority of fans think that the average length of a college football game is too long? Really?

2) I bet this is going to raise the probability that refs are going to make mistakes, which is going to mean more pi$$ed off fans. If they're going to speed up the game, they should add another official on the field.

The games are way too long. When ABC/ESPN moved up the kickoff for the national title game an hour this past year because the games were running so long on the east coast the previous years that tells you something. Even they know there is a problem.

I have no problem with any of the four proposals listed (although #4 will never happen), but they don't address the elephant in the room and the main problem. College football refs use instant replay as a crutch when unsure what to call. You can't give the refs unlimited opportunities to use replay to have a second look. Enough with the replay. Give each head coach two a game to use any time, just 2. And that's it. I don't care if the coach gets both right; they don't get more than 2.

And for the "targeting" penalty, call it on the field. If the refs miss it then it isn't targeting because that one should be "clear and obvious." Refs shouldn't stop a game to check if a hit is targeting, if it isn't obvious, then it isn't. Period.

 

[upperdeck]

The games are way too long.

I have no problem with any of the four proposals listed (although #4 will never happen), but they don't address the elephant in the room and the main problem. College football refs use instant replay as a crutch when unsure what to call. You can't give the refs unlimited opportunities to use replay to have a second look. Enough with the replay. Give each head coach two a game to use any time, just 2. And that's it. I don't care if the coach gets both right; they don't get more than 2.

And for the "targeting" penalty, call it on the field. If the refs miss it then it isn't targeting because that one should be "clear and obvious." Refs shouldn't stop a game to check if a hit is targeting, if it isn't obvious, then it isn't. Period.

honestly since targeting can carry over anyway to another game, if the refs miss it and its that bad a miss then start the next game with the penalty if they have to..

Dont stop the game, have it reviewed by the league office on the fly.. Take the dude out, figure it out, and if they were wrong put him back in.. Yeah a guy could get screwed but then again he might not.

You could fix it even more if you dealt with it like hockey, Call the major, take the guy out for every one major for 1-2-3 plays, whatever it is. That would give you time to figure out if he should be ejected.. IF you dont call the play a major then deal with that miss at a later time.

 

[richard levy]

Do what they do when televising soccer games, commercials on the screen at same time as the game. As a fan, nothing more boring than being at the game waiting for the official to resume play

 

[donniesyracuse]

I'll never for the life of me understand why the end of soccer games has to be this super mysterious thing where nobody quite knows when its going to happen. Just stop the clock if there's an injury and run it down to zero.

Once you start stopping the clock, there will be commercials. That would end the best thing about soccer broadcasts.

 

[upperdeck]

Soccer has other things it could help the game with.. Speed up the throw in game, the walk the ball down the sideline, hand it to 5 guys plays. add more refs maybe.

 

[Eric15]

That would end the best thing about soccer broadcasts.

I thought the best thing about soccer was the post game Caprisuns.

 

[Franz69]

Genuinely curious, is speeden a word?

 

[Cuse181]

Sorry if this was said before, but if we consider a full use of the play clock, a penalty and another full use of the play clock in all 4 quarters (worst case scenario for untimed downs) you’re only saving like 8 minutes total through the untimed down rule, at best. I guess it’s some time savings at minimal impact but idk seems like a pretty useless change. (Which I fully understand might be the point)

 

[Newhouser]

This is what hooked me on soccer. No timeouts. Running time from beginning to end.

Every game, including pre-game and post-game, is over in less than 2 hours.

Said the same thing watching cuse win the Natty. Not a soccer guy but that game moved. Football and hoops need to do the same.

 

[Scooch]

Why DOES the clock stop after incompletions? Never made sense to me. I'm all for running clock there. Especially since teams throw 90+ times a game these days.

 

[upperdeck]

Why DOES the clock stop after incompletions? Never made sense to me. I'm all for running clock there. Especially since teams throw 90+ times a game these days.

because you can get a play restarted in 5-10 on a running play.. on a pass downfield it may take you that long to go get the ball, then the players get back to the line, now your play clock is at 10-15 and you have even lined up.. they should just mark the ball and start at 25 secs and eliminate the confusion.. and do it on running plays as well , no more running 40 secs off the clock. just mark it and go.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The first down clock moving rule will help a ton. Getting CFB games closer to NFL (3hrs and under) will be solid.

What NFL games are under 3 hours?

 

[orange79]

Regarding #4, wouldn't that technically eliminate "clocking" the ball to stop the clock and prolong a late drive?

And if they say, "Oh sure, you can still clock the ball to stop the clock" then I call BS.

 

[cusefan88]

What NFL games are under 3 hours?

Just an example. The avg is like 3hrs and 5mins so inevitably some games come in under 3hrs. CFB I see tons of games that go closer to 3hrs45. I'm just saying NFL is much shorter and I hope CFB follows that.

 

[Dinkyspond]

I watched an XFL game this weekend (watched Defenders hoping to see Dungey) and the clock running after the spot of an incomplete pass really speeds up the game and the pace of play considerably. I liked it. I think it shortens the game and would help underdogs pull off more upsets. The longer the game, the more likely the deeper more talented team has a chance to outlast the perceived weaker team. In a way, shortening the game can help in evening out the playing field.

 

[SUbear]

I'll never for the life of me understand why the end of soccer games has to be this super mysterious thing where nobody quite knows when its going to happen. Just stop the clock if there's an injury and run it down to zero.

Because that way you never know when the boredom will end.

 

[SUbear]

Once you start stopping the clock, there will be commercials. That would end the best thing about soccer broadcasts.

yes would not want to stop the endless boredom.

 

[Qbobby]

The NHL intermission of 18 minutes is too long to IMO, that should be 15 minutes as well.

The difference there is the time it takes to get the nets off, resurface the ice, bring everything back and in place, and still have some time for warmup skating. Maybe 15 minutes works, but that has to be cutting it close.

 

[LoveShack]

Since we are throwing out ideas that will probably never happen I'd like to propose a rule regarding the faking of injuries to stop momenteum.
If a player is injured and the refs have stop the clock he should miss the rest of that offensive or defensive series instead of one play or taking a TO
If a player is injured a second time in the game and the refs stop the clock he should miss the rest of the half.
A 3rd stoppage for injury and done for the game.
I realize Darton would have played in about half the time he played this year if those rules we in effect. But it would make some players and coaches think twice before pulling the Rodney Dangerfield "oh my arm, I think its broken"

 

[721Comstock]

Since we are throwing out ideas that will probably never happen I'd like to propose a rule regarding the faking of injuries to stop momentum.
If a player is injured and the refs have stop the clock he should miss the rest of that offensive or defensive series instead of one play or taking a TO
If a player is injured a second time in the game and the refs stop the clock he should miss the rest of the half.
A 3rd stoppage for injury and done for the game.
I realize Darton would have played in about half the time he played this year if those rules we in effect. But it would make some players and coaches think twice before pulling the Rodney Dangerfield "oh my arm, I think its broken"

I'd be on board with something along these lines.

One modification I'd suggest, in the case of an initial "injury" clock stoppage,
would be that said injured player would have to sit out the greater of:

• the rest of that series, regardless of # of plays
• a minimum of 4 plays for their side of the ball, which may be over multiple series.

This way, you take away the reward/incentive for a player to flop after a 2nd down play, since they'd only miss 1 play if the D (in this example) gets a stop on 3rd down and forces a punt.

IF you are "injured" badly enough to require a stoppage of play, then you shouldn't be in any rush to return to the field, until properly checked out.

Because it is all about player safety.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Just an example. The avg is like 3hrs and 5mins so inevitably some games come in under 3hrs. CFB I see tons of games that go closer to 3hrs45. I'm just saying NFL is much shorter and I hope CFB follows that.

What I saw was closer to 3:15, on average, in 2022.

 

[Admiral Koga]

The games are way too long. When ABC/ESPN moved up the kickoff for the national title game an hour this past year because the games were running so long on the east coast the previous years that tells you something. Even they know there is a problem.

I have no problem with any of the four proposals listed (although #4 will never happen), but they don't address the elephant in the room and the main problem. College football refs use instant replay as a crutch when unsure what to call. You can't give the refs unlimited opportunities to use replay to have a second look. Enough with the replay. Give each head coach two a game to use any time, just 2. And that's it. I don't care if the coach gets both right; they don't get more than 2.

And for the "targeting" penalty, call it on the field. If the refs miss it then it isn't targeting because that one should be "clear and obvious." Refs shouldn't stop a game to check if a hit is targeting, if it isn't obvious, then it isn't. Period.

I don't really have a major problem with the refs using replay as a crutch. These guys aren't
pros. Yes, they do camps and receive training and such, but this is still a part time job for them. But why does the ref have to look in the 'viewfinder' for every replay? Can't there be a guy/girl up in the press box with a couple of screens watching the broadcast that 1) signals down for a stoppage to double check a disputed play and 2) actually review the play? It seems to me that there is a lot of wasted time with the way the review process is actually done.

Since most kickoffs are touchbacks...can't they run a screen-in-screen commercial during the kickoff? IMO that would take a good 5 minutes off of the game time. Also, how much time would the running clock after a first down really shave off? They are pretty good at spotting the ball that the clock is stopped for only about 10 seconds. I understand that this adds up but I would be surprised if it amounts to 2 minutes...