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A proposal to change the gameclock rules for the NFL
- Thread starter Synth_floyd
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Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
It's the most obnoxious during special teams and change of possession. This I can agree presses my patience.
But it's quite possible to get through almost an entire quarter with very little commercials. Especially 1st and 3rd. Depends on how teams are playing. Long ass drives can devour clock, and unless the teams burn T.O.'s there isn't stoppage for commercial breaks. You have a running team, or an offense that's moving the ball well and not having incomplete passes, you get long stretches of playtime.
In situations where teams are stopping play all the time... well, yeah 3 and outs and turnovers can do that. But then there are situations that are tight and tense, and the annoyance of commercial breaks is offset somewhat by the excitement and anticipation of what's transpiring on the field in a close game. And in the NFL, they need the time. This stuff is chess. They need a few minutes to gameplan important game situations.
I'm amazed at what they do with the time they have. It's a pressure cooker to get plays in, call the play, read the defense/offense, make adjustments, snap the ball... manage the clock during plays and after, this is the NFL man, it's great. It is the greatest frickin sport. It's a goddamn pressure cooker and I love it.
Apart from some of the change of possession stuff (and yeah this can be significant time in a lot of games, I concede this is an annoyance)... I can't see anything wrong with the current game.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
This one is going to go away naturally I think... it cost Miami the game vs the Jets. Especially these last second icing attempts that give the kickers mulligans.
It's been around for a while, but I think it's going to go away soon. Afaik there's no real statistical advantage and now we've seen some situations where there's risk for the team calling the T.O.... I mean, if you do it early, whatever. But coaches trying to get cute with it have been burned a few times now.
Junior Asparagus
Member
I totally agree with this. Why does everyone but the ref have to estimate how much time is left?! Just have a game clock that stops when play stops and it'd be fine. I'm sure the refs get it close to right, but the fact that it's even slightly arbitrary never made sense to me. When in stoppage time, the ref often waits until the last surge is over before he whistles full time as well. That doesn't seem right.
When the MLS began, I think I remember they tried American style clocks that counted down from 90 and stopped when play stopped, but they quickly went to the clock that's used everywhere else. That makes sense to keep the game unified, but I still don't know why the time left in the game should be a secret.
It would probably make sense to have a coherent system, but since many of the breaks are used to squish in some extra Ad I doubt that anything like this would ever be considered.
Also do I think that all the Football fans actually like that a 60 minute game turns into a 3 hour event
Also do I think that all the Football fans actually like that a 60 minute game turns into a 3 hour event
In AFL they prevent the players knowing exactly how much time is left
Designed to prevent teams just keeping the ball off the other team for 10 minutes at a time and encourage late game scoring.
On a related topic, I find it hilarious how horrible teams still are at clock management. This last Sunday in the Atlanta/Carolina game we had this situation:
Carolina ahead by 1
2:20 on the clock
Atlanta with 2 timeouts
Carolina has just run for a first down
What does Atlanta do? They let the clock run down to the 2 minute warning. Carolina then runs the ball twice, with Atlanta calling timeouts after each play. End result is that Carolina has a third down with the clock stopped at 1:51.
What should Atlanta have done? Call a timeout immediately after the first down play ends. Then use your last time out as soon as the next play ends. End result? Carolina has a third down with the clock stopped at 2:00 with the warning.
I have seen this happen in so many games for so many years. And I don't understand how it can still be allowed to happen. Use the timeouts before the 2 minute warning you incompetent idiots.
Carolina ahead by 1
2:20 on the clock
Atlanta with 2 timeouts
Carolina has just run for a first down
What does Atlanta do? They let the clock run down to the 2 minute warning. Carolina then runs the ball twice, with Atlanta calling timeouts after each play. End result is that Carolina has a third down with the clock stopped at 1:51.
What should Atlanta have done? Call a timeout immediately after the first down play ends. Then use your last time out as soon as the next play ends. End result? Carolina has a third down with the clock stopped at 2:00 with the warning.
I have seen this happen in so many games for so many years. And I don't understand how it can still be allowed to happen. Use the timeouts before the 2 minute warning you incompetent idiots.
I think there are plenyt of time where you want to keep time outs in hand for after the 2 minute warning. Give you at least 2-3 plays where your pass route will not be as predictable.
When I first started watching it I thought so too, but now I really appreciate the added dimension it gives it over most sports.
What? I'm talking about when the opposing team has the ball. Keeping the timeouts until after the 2 minute warning does nothing but lose them 9 seconds.
The_Hitcher89
Member
I'd hate for football games to end at 90 minutes. Very occasionally the refs go overboard when letting phases of play occur past the alloted stoppage time, but the end of matches would lose something if play ended at 90:00 regardless of the situation. There's nothing like the feeling of defending a 1 goal lead and coming under attack as the clock goes past 94:00, knowing that if you can hold out and clear the ball, you've won. Much better imo than just waiting for the clock to strike
I would assume the coaches would have their own stop watches / time keepers so they can approximate how much time is left within a few seconds.
shira
Member
Damn sheeple. I feel really bad for the ones who pay $200-300 for NFL TV.
You are paying to watch commercials and now justify it as depth/dimension.
But then they have the ball with 2 time outs instead of 1 2 minute warning. I like your way better, but at least I can see what they were trying to do, sometimes they are absolute rubbish at clock management.
Free to air in Australia. I only get 3 or 4 games a week, and pay for none of them.
The coaches can see the clock I think, just not the players. There is no direct communication between the players on the field and coach.
Atlanta was forced to use both timeouts immediately after the 2 minute warning, or Carolina would have run 25 seconds off the clock each time. There was no better use for the timeouts than calling them before the 2 minute warning.
Everything is identical except for the lost 9 seconds.
Run for first down (2 minute warning stop), First Down play (Timeout), Second Down play (Timeout)
Run for first down (Timeout), First Down play (Timeout), Second Down play (2 minute warning)
Carolina then ran the clock down to 1:20ish before punting when they could have at best run it down to 1:29 if Atlanta had used their timeouts wisely.
Skiesofwonder
Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Simple:
After the two minute warning, any play for the leading team that results in a negative gain of yardage automatically stops the clock.
Would be a stupid rule, but they could do it.
Ah, gotchya. I was reading it wrong. It's late at night here, thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Run for 1 yard then.
The NFL is going to go the other way and not force a play if the other team cannot stop the clock/get the ball back. The Schiano Rule will be in place next year.
crazygambit
Member
There's a fourth referee whose job is to keep track of that and communicate it to the main referee close to the end of each half. I've never seen it go higher than 5 minutes though, even if there was a particularly long stop (like a goalie getting hurt for example).
Those extra minutes are the most fun in a close game since they can change everything. Also the ref isn't supposed to stop the game if a team is in the middle of an attack even if the clock has run out, which makes those last attacks even more fun.
Edit: Oh and you also have the winning team fans calling for the game to be over (usually in a very heated manner, tapping their watches). It all adds to the fun.
At least this is better than taking a knee.. there is always a chance for a fumble or something that can turn close games around.
Skiesofwonder
Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Which eliminates victory formation (kneeling).
God I hope not. Maybe it was a dream, but I believe I remember a time when Peyton Manning bobbled the snap in victory formation,
and the opponents recovered. Sounds like a future Romo highlight, wouldn't want to miss out on that.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
So... penalize the defense for getting a sack? Clock management works both ways... there are times when either side needs stoppage/continuance.
Hahahahahaha, I love it.
I do not believe that has ever happened in an NFL game. It's going to be turned into a "player safety" issue.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
It happened in an Eagles game... iirc Herman Edwards recovered the botched snap and returned it for the game winning TD?
I'll have to double check... but I'm pretty sure that's why they always keep a HB a few yards back now.
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
NFL is fine, leave your soccer/football rules to that game and leave ours alone.
Football is not soccer, it's not a continuous flowing game, it's one of strategy. The OP obviously doesn't have a grasp on how the game is managed and why it is the way it is.
You have separate coaches for each aspect of the game for a reason.
The amount of different offensive and defensive schemes is overwhelming.
You get rid of the clock management aspect and you'd have a version of fuckball, not football.
Football is not soccer, it's not a continuous flowing game, it's one of strategy. The OP obviously doesn't have a grasp on how the game is managed and why it is the way it is.
You have separate coaches for each aspect of the game for a reason.
The amount of different offensive and defensive schemes is overwhelming.
You get rid of the clock management aspect and you'd have a version of fuckball, not football.
The Giants weren't taking a knee, it was a botched handoff. The Miracle at the Meadowlands is the reason the Victory Formation came into being.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-FI28rJamY
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Well not exactly a victory formation fumble.. he did try to hand it off. Wiki on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_at_the_Meadowlands
Skiesofwonder
Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
I think you misunderstood, because that wouldn't penalize the defense. a play from the losing defense that leads to negative yardage for the leading offense would stop the clock, helping out the losing team. Therefore the leading offense would be forced to get back to the line of scrimmage or better to keep the clock running. This rule would only go into effect when the leading team has the ball with less then two minutes left.
Personally I'm fine with the rules the way they currently are (concerning time management), but they could implement such a rule to eliminate victory formation.
The clock as it is, is great. It does seem a little arbitrary, especially with how the clock runs differently in the final two minutes to aid comebacks - but it is to the benefit of games. Another example of where the clock is vital to the strategy was in this weekend's Washington-Tampa game.
Tampa were in field goal range to take the lead. Rather than running the ball on second down to keep the clock going, they decided to go with a pass. It was a ballsy playcall, risking not just an incompletion stopping the clock but an interception. However, it was the exact opposite of what Washington would expect them to do in that situation so it might have paid off. That said, it didn't. It was an incompletion and essentially gave Washington an extra 40 seconds on the clock after they scored which they used to march down the field and score back to take the game.
To remove the intricacies of the clock would just take too much away from the sport. It would almost be like 'dumbing down' for no particular reason.
Edit: Rather than ban the kneel-down (I think they would sooner ban attacking against a kneel-down from the defense), I'd like to see it easier to recover onside kicks. Maybe reduce the minimum travelling distance required to five yards, or allow the kicking team to stack one side a lot more.
Tampa were in field goal range to take the lead. Rather than running the ball on second down to keep the clock going, they decided to go with a pass. It was a ballsy playcall, risking not just an incompletion stopping the clock but an interception. However, it was the exact opposite of what Washington would expect them to do in that situation so it might have paid off. That said, it didn't. It was an incompletion and essentially gave Washington an extra 40 seconds on the clock after they scored which they used to march down the field and score back to take the game.
To remove the intricacies of the clock would just take too much away from the sport. It would almost be like 'dumbing down' for no particular reason.
Edit: Rather than ban the kneel-down (I think they would sooner ban attacking against a kneel-down from the defense), I'd like to see it easier to recover onside kicks. Maybe reduce the minimum travelling distance required to five yards, or allow the kicking team to stack one side a lot more.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
My mistake. Lol... sorry.
Hey its Herman Edwards.
Wuthering_Heights
Banned
The NFL is boring and slow paced enough as it is. And you want to extend games even longer? 
bit of a misconception. They took a knee on the previous play. The victory formation was already in use that era, so why they would run a play immediately after taking a knee is even more mind boggling.
Taking a knee was common but I didn't think the formation was really in use yet?
oh, the specific formation as it's used today? Maybe not, not sure.
damn, this thread is filled with some of the worst ideas I've ever heard about football. It's like if we had madden ultimate team players propose rule changes.
damn, this thread is filled with some of the worst ideas I've ever heard about football. It's like if we had madden ultimate team players propose rule changes.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
I missed that you said "leading" team... apologies. Making all sorts of gaffes in this thread.
Or DCX
Skiesofwonder
Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Yeah, now that I think about it, I believe Manning might of fumbled the snap while driving for the game winning score. I know in college Oklahoma State fumbled in victory formation a few years back, but they still ended up winning that game. The Herm Edwards TD is the best example I can think of regarding NFL, but that was the Giants fumbling on a running play, a play in which was chosen because of what happened in the previous kneel down before it.
Anyways, being worried about safety with a play involving a kneel down is laughable.
Yeah, definitely. I love watching a well executed two minute drill. It's not about just getting down the field, it's about getting down the field the right way, so that you can win the game and not give the other team another chance to score.
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