It’s not in the rule book yet. Just the proposal has caused the biggest disagreement among college football coaches that anyone can remember. These guys don’t agree about too much anyway… but this one is off the charts.
The biggest innovation to college football in the past few years has undoubtedly been the ‘hurry-up offense’. When Oregon and Arizona… and later Baylor, started snapping the ball within the first 10 seconds after starting the play clock, they caught almost every other team unprepared for the quick start and it worked.
Some coaches claimed right away that it worked a little too well and caused too much of a change in the rhythm of the game. Some agreed, some did not.
Now several years later, the committee has proposed to outlaw the fast-start offense from the NCAA playing field. The proposal has polarized the college football community into two distinct camps, those for and against the new rule.
The stated purpose of the change is to better protect the health and well being of the young athletes by allowing substitutions on and off the playing field during the first 10 seconds of the 40 second time clock allowed for the offensive team to get their next play off.
That sounds OK but, if that rule is instated, it will be the death knoll for the hurry up offense which relies on the element of surprise and quickness to get the jump on the defense.
After having witnessed the quick start offenses on the field now for a couple of years, many wonder if it is a good idea to take that big step back.
Under the proposed rule change a team which snaps the ball before the play clock reaches 29 seconds will be called for delay of game and be taxed a 5 yard penalty. Teams will be allowed to substitute players within the first 10 seconds of the 40 second clock, but not in the final two minutes of each half.
Troy Calhoun, who coaches at the Air Force Academy and chairs the NCAA Rules Committee, told the press, “This rules change is being made to enhance student athlete safety by guaranteeing a small window for both teams to substitute.”
Coach Todd Berry of Louisiana-Monroe backed Calhoun up by saying, “On offense you can always have a tired player throw up his hand and sub out, but on defense the only way is if you call timeout. This is about player safety.”
