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Proposed college football rule changes for 2014

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Steak Snabler, Feb 12, 2014.

  1. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Re: College football rule changes for 2014

    As I understand it the new rules have been proposed by rules committee but still
    must be approved so it's not a sure thing.
    I think the uptempo offense is here to stay. I don't see the slow down rule
    being approved despite what Saban wants.
     
  2. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    Re: College football rule changes for 2014

    You're right. I'll fix the thread title.

    By the way, count Hugh Freeze and Rich Rodriguez among those who are ... not thrilled:

    http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20140213/SPORTS030103/302130040/Potential-rule-change-college-football-could-affect-Ole-Miss
     
  3. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Exactly. There's absolutely nothing wrong with teams playing at a faster pace. The teams playing the faster pace have made the game better and more interesting and enjoyable to watch. So, by all means, let's penalize them for it.

    And I'm not buying the substitution rationalization at all, a well prepared coach can get his subs in quickly. I suspect the real reason for this is better explained by Steak's comment about Saban/Malzahn. It's simply the NCAA caving in to lobbying by powerful coaches who are pissy over losses to teams that play faster.
     
  4. murphyc

    murphyc Well-Known Member

    Saban just wanted his bases covered in case Alabama has to play Oregon for the title someday. ;D
     
  5. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    The other thing that's utter fucking horseshit about this the substitution rule is that it's coming from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards.

    This is the committee that won't consider any recommendations to changes that affect athlete safety unless it's accompanied by years of research. Yet it's perfectly fine for them to recommend a rule change with no supporting evidence whatsoever.

    Fuck those guys.
     
  6. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR PLAYING NICK SABAN

    1. The quarterback shall remain in the pocket at all times. The pocket is defined as the width of the offensive line.

    2. The quarterback shall not initiate a running play at any time. If unable to find a passing option, the quarterback may "scramble," or improvise a running play, provided that he runs directly forward without extending the play wider than the "pocket," or area between the offensive tackles.

    3. The quarterback's hands must touch the center's buttocks on at least 50 percent of offensive plays.

    4. For safety reasons, all offensive linemen must weigh 300 pounds.

    5. No team shall be allowed to place more than two players wide of the formation, a.k.a. "wide receivers." A team is permitted to employ another player on the line of scrimmage as a "tight end" provided that player is within two feet of the nearest offensive lineman and begins the play in a blocking stance.

    6. Teams must begin every play with at least three players directly behind the offensive line. The quarterback must be the forward-most of those players.

    7. Defensive formations must include three defensive linemen in the "down" position and four linebackers in the "standing" position at all times. For safety reasons, all defensive linemen must weigh a minimum of 325 pounds.

    8. After a team attempts a field goal, the ball is dead after crossing the line of scrimmage, provided that it does not go through the uprights for a successful attempt.
     
  7. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    In theory, a team take the opening kickoff and draw this penalty indefinitely as half the distance to the goal line means it can never be reached until they go to overtime at 0-0. That'd be some entertainment.
     
  8. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Well put. God forbid teams try any style that is innovative, unconventional or disproportionately entertaining, for such things do not sit well with Saint Nick at all.

    And I love how every proposed change nowadays gets rationalized under some specious "athlete safety" theory, regardless of whether there's any actual proof one way is any safer than the other. It's like the people proposing these things have figured out that if you just say the words "athlete safety" people will be afraid to question you for fear of being perceived as insensitive clods.
     
  9. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    I don't find Oregon running inside zone 5 times in a row particularly compelling. Why do you? Because they do it quickly?

    Invariably, once or twice a year, Oregon plays like shit because some team figures it out, stops them, and Oregon doesn't know how to kick a field goal. Now, far be it from me to keep them from enjoying that fate annually. But, on the whole, I don't see football as a more enjoyable game because of these offenses.
     
  10. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    It's a GREAT time when a team does that. The clash of styles is what has made the last two Stanford-Oregon games so compelling.
     
  11. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Yes. I do find these offenses like Auburn and Oregon's that keep moving quickly and with purpose to be more interesting than the ones with the fatasses loitering around wasting time milking the full 40 seconds between each play. And I find that the clash of differing styles when they play teams that play by a different philosophy makes the game more interesting. And plenty agree with me.

    Now if that's not your bag, and you'd prefer to see everyone playing a similar style and pace, I guess we're just of differing minds on that.


    Exactly right. Which is why we don't need any damn rule changes to slow these teams down. A well prepared coach can do it on his own, whether it's done through discipline, preparation and old school smash mouth football like Stanford has done to Oregon in recent year, or by giving Oregon a taste of its own medicine like Arizona did to them this year. And you know what? I think it's great when teams do that to them, I thought the last couple Stanford/Oregon games were very compelling viewing. Because Stanford figured out how to do it on their own, they didn't ask to be bailed out by the Rules Committee.
     
  12. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    What makes college football compelling to me are the diversity of offenses and how
    defenses need to adjust week to week to defend varying styles. Any rules that would
    limit this diversity would not be good. Saban just does not want to have to adjust.

    As far as Oregon this season when Mariota hurt his knee the inside zone was not near
    as effective because he was a lot less of a threat to pull it and run.
     
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