Big 12 coaches gripe about new timing rules
Like most coaches, Baylor’s Art Briles can’t figure out why college football has made tweaking its timing rules an annual rite. He anticipated feeling frustrated with this year’s changes, including new rules about the play clock and plays that finish out-of-bounds. And a quarter of the way through the season, he wishes things were like they used to be.
“In the good old days, you’d have 78-85 plays in a normal game,” Briles said Monday. “A couple of times, we were over 100. If you’ve got the record in the NCAA, you’ve got a good chance of keeping it.”
Like most teams, the Bears have seen their offensive play count decrease from 2007. In the Big 12, only Kansas and Oklahoma have averaged more plays so far in 2008 than they did last year. In a league full of talented quarterbacks and fast-paced, high-scoring offenses, fewer plays for a team like Baylor means fewer chances to hang with division rivals Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
This year’s clock adjustments have been well-publicized. Under most circumstances, offenses will deal with a 40-second clock that begins as soon as the previous play ends rather than a 25-second clock that starts when the ball is spotted and the referee signals it ready for play. Also, when a ballcarrier goes out of bounds, the game clock restarts on the ref’s signal, not with the start of the next play.
sportingnews.com
9/22/08
Magnolia Tribune
