What do you do with a near-perfect product? You continue to tweak it, of course. Never one to leave well enough alone, the NCAA has instituted some rule changes for 2008, for which every fan needs to prepare.
1) Game clock goes from 25 seconds to 40 seconds
The rule change that everyone will notice first will be the change in the play clock. Gone is the 25-second play clock, replaced by the 40-second play clock used by the NFL. In the past, the 25-second clock didn’t start until the ball was marked ready for play. Now, as in the NFL, the 40-second clock will commence as soon as the previous play ends.
Why? The stated rationale is that the move will speed up the game. This from the folks who brought us rules changes which led to the disastrous 2006 season, when clock management rules changes designed to shorten games cost teams (and their fans) 25-30 plays per game.
What the rule change really does is take out one more human element from the game, and that is a shame.
Ask almost any long-time fan of college football, and they will quickly recall for you a crucial game when, in the waning seconds, the eyes of thousands of fans were riveted upon the white hat of the referee. Some in the stands were hoping for a slow restart as the game clock continued to tick down, the remainder impatiently demanding that the ball be deemed ready for play.
The outcome of the game could well hinge on the subjective judgment of the referee—a tension that was a part of the beauty of the game.
Can you remember such a game?
For fans of the offensive team trying to run out the clock, it was humorous to watch as players slowly gathered themselves up from the pile, as if the mere act of standing was beyond their capabilities. These players were very much encouraged by the fans in their sloth.
It was almost as if everyone hoping for a slow start of play was channeling Burgess Meredith in Rocky ("Stay down! Stay down!").
Meanwhile, on the other sideline, the frantic fans of the defense were imploring their players to get up and onside so that the referee would deem the ball ready for play, starting the 25-second clock.
Ever see a 180-pound safety rush into the pile at the line of scrimmage to assist an opposing 300-pound offensive lineman to his feet? Only in college football would you see such a sight.
Until 2008.
2) Game clock to restart on ready-for-play after the ball is taken out of bounds
Similar to the "speed up the game" rules change above, there will be a second noticeable change in clock management very early in your first game back at the stadium. For decades, when a player with the ball went out of bounds, the clock stopped, with the clock not starting again until the ball was snapped for the next play.
This too, will change in 2008. Under the new rules, the clock will again stop when the ball is taken out of bounds. However, instead of waiting for the snap, the clock will again begin to run when the ball is marked ready for play. Be the first in your section to point this new rule out during the first quarter of your first game, and you’ll be deemed the guru of the section for the remainder of the season!
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