The obvious: 3-2-5-e is D-E-D dead. The news may be a month old but I invoke that all readers must commence upon a happy dance in 3... 2... 1 ...Happy Dance? Happy Dance. Ahhh, better now. Wha? Huh? Where was I? Oh yeah, rule changes.
The not so obvious: new rules are on the way.
The NCAA "Rules Oversight Panel", overstepping its presumed 'oversight' responsibilities, has finalized the new rules.
On Thursday, the rules oversight panel approved two major timing changes that would revert the rules to what they were in 2005 -- stopping the clock on possession changes and not starting it on kickoffs until the receiving team touches the ball. [snip]Recommended replay review procedures, however, are not changing.
While this year's changes likely mean games will again be longer, the panel approved several other measures intended to help keep game times closer to 3 hours.
Kickoffs will be made from the 30-yard line, like in the NFL, instead of the 35. That, Halpin said, should ensure more returns and shorter stoppages.
After media timeouts during televised games, teams will have less time to run plays. Previously, teams had a 25-second play clock; now it will be 15 seconds. Halpin said it could prevent the long stoppages when teams are merely simply trying to save time.
One of the most time-consuming procedures, replay reviews, will not change. The football rules committee withdrew its proposal to impose a 2-minute limit, in part, because of the potential for technical difficulties.All in all, not a bad day for the college football. Now let's pray to the football Gods for the return of some Desmond Howard/Rocket Ismail level kickoff returns in 2007. Praise be upon thee!
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