Here is how the NCAA hopes to speed up College Football games
The casual College Football fan will tell you that they enjoy every second of the fall, as the sport consumes most of their weeks during the months of August until January.
The NCAA, however, is looking to implement four new rules that could shave up to 20 plays off of each game.
According to a report by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, the NCAA is proposing several rules that involve clock management in an effort to speed up games, as well as cut down on several health risks.
These projected rules, if passed, would go into effect this fall. However, officials of the NCAA are still weeks away from learning if these proposed rule changes will be approved.
Here’s a look at the changes that could be coming to College Football this fall according to Sports Illustrated:
The kicker has thawed
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One rule that is being examined is the right given to teams to use timeouts consecutively. This would cut down in the “icing the kicker” tactic that most coaches use in late-game situations.
Zero means zero
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Another proposal for a quicker game is cutting out untimed downs. The rule looks to stop extending a play in the first or third quarter for an untimed down if the quarter ends on a defensive penalty (the down would be clocked starting the next quarter).
Keep it moving
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This proposal will change offensive strategy in a massive way. No longer would teams get a brief stop in the action after gaining a first down. This rule states that the clock will not stop following a first down, unless the game has reached the final two minutes of each half.
According to the report, this rule could shave 7-9 plays off of a game.
Make the most of your throws
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This change goes hand-in-hand with the previous rule of a running clock following a first down. This rule states that following an incomplete pass, the clock will stop briefly to allow for the football to be spotted, then will continue running. Look for quarterbacks to stop throwing the ball away in blown coverage or spiking the ball in situations where calling timeout is not ideal.
The previous rule could knock off 7-9 plays per game, while this rule could take up to 18 plays away from an offense according to data.
