Yes, It's Still Time For A Rule Change

Last year at this time I wrote an article/blog stating that it was time for a rule change in football. I'm going to repost parts of that blog because I feel just as strongly about the subject. To lead into this post let me explain. The University of Illinois will be hosting Louisiana Tech, coached by Sonny Dykes, this Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Coach Dykes has done a fabulous job at Tech and has a fast moving high octane offense that is hard to stop. They will be running a no huddle and pass oriented offense that might throw the ball 50+ times. The play clock will be stopped a lot on incomplete passes and players going out of bounds. The average L. Tech game lasts 4 hours and 10 minutes! That's too long. I love football but that is too long. What can be done to speed thigs up a bit? Here are excerpts from a Sept. 5, 2011 blog that I wrote. (Get ready, it's radical)

You’re going to think I’m nuts. You’re going to think I’m advocating football blasphemy but it’s time to keep the clock running on incomplete passes. Oh, not completely keep the clock running, but start the clock once the ball has been spotted in place for the next down. Exactly the way we do the clock for setting the chains. Hear me out, my friend.

We have to think logically. Think back to the games origins (imagine) and try to figure out WHY the clock was stopped on an incomplete pass. They had to have a reason. The only logical answer is they stopped the clock to chase down the ball. The thinking must have been, “Let’s not run the clock while we’re retrieving the ball”. They probably didn’t have as many refs as we do now nor as many footballs and ball boys. It may have been time consuming to chase the ball down. Now, why the rules makers didn’t restart the clock when the ball was ready for play from the very beginning, I don’t know. Help me on that if you can.  At any rate, there is no reason why the clock can’t be started when the ball is ready for play.

Why do we need this rule change? Because with passing attempts going up at all levels it’s starting to take too doggone long to play a game. Particularly at the pro and college level once you add in TV timeouts and the like. A team that throws three incomplete passes in a row might burn ten seconds and that in turn extends the game too much. I propose stopping the clock on an incomplete pass and then restarting it once it’s ready. Will that change some strategy? Sure, but so what? A good coach can still manage the clock with timeouts and utilizing the sideline. Remember, the clock can be stopped by going out of bounds although I can’t think of the reason for that. Another story some day. And what about spiking the ball? That will make that strategy useless you say.  Good. I think it’s dumb anyway. Spiking the ball looks like a fumble to me. My proposal would speed up the game and still allow for strategy in stopping the clock.  

Well, there you have it. What do you think? Give me your comments or go to the Chiefpigskin forums and start a thread. I'd love to hear if you think I'm crazy or if I might be on to something.  Have a great weekend coaching, playing, and watching football.