The Official Go-Hard-Go-Fast-Offense Critique Thread

[Jarid in Cedar]

Player safety, my eye. This is politics.

The player safety issue is the number of plays, not the pace. More plays = more injuries, so I get that part. That is why I would change to NFL timing rules. That doesn't mess with the mechanics of the drive, but would reduce the #of plays.

But I agree that politics is why it is being proposed.

[YOhio]

This is anti-Mormonism rearing it's ugly head. Nobody cared until BYU started doing it.

[smokymountainrain]

You see one of your receivers uncovered due to a confused defense, forget about snapping it to take advantage - wait until 29 seconds so the defense can correct itself. Awesome.

[USUC]

I've enjoyed the Twitter blow up over this. Martzen, RichRod, Hugh Freeze, Art Briles, etc going off.

[New Mexican Disaster]

This is anti-Mormonism rearing it's ugly head. Nobody cared until BYU started doing it.

The folks in Berkeley and Palo Alto are behind this. Mandatory Sunday play is probably coming next. Thanks Prop 8!

[All-American]

Actually, as I think about it, 29 seconds may not be that's big a deal. That's only ten seconds after the end of the previous play.

[USUC]

Actually, as I think about it, 29 seconds may not be that's big a deal. That's only ten seconds after the end of the previous play.

How many teams hover around that 31 to 29 second mark? This rule could completely kill (or at least severely hamper) the philosophies of several coaches.

[All-American]

The Official Go-Hard-Go-Fast-Offense Critique Thread

How many teams hover around that 31 to 29 second mark? This rule could completely kill (or at least severely hamper) the philosophies of several coaches.

I would love to see the numbers, myself, but my guess is not many.

This site crunched some numbers in September and showed BYU leading the nation at 17.8 seconds per play.

http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2013/9/19/4747302/college-football-tempo-pace-no-huddle

Even assuming that each play lasts about seven seconds (my guess is that it's somewhat less), that's still probably going to leave the clock at under 29 most of the time. The bigger effect, I think, is defenses knowing they have safe harbor until 29 seconds to sub in and out.

Don't like the suggested rule, by the way. But I don't think it will have a huge effect.

[woot]

Yeah it seems to me that this change is mostly about trying to restore defenses' ability to substitute. This would serve to restore competitive balance, perhaps providing less incentive for teams to go fast without actually preventing their ability to do so.

I think that's the key here. There are several advantages to going fast, but preventing the defense from substituting is one of the most important, and it's not clear that's a desirable mechanic. Teams that want to take advantage of the other benefits are still free to do so.

[USUC]

Yeah it seems to me that this change is mostly about trying to restore defenses' ability to substitute. This would serve to restore competitive balance, perhaps providing less incentive for teams to go fast without actually preventing their ability to do so.

I think that's the key here. There are several advantages to going fast, but preventing the defense from substituting is one of the most important, and it's not clear that's a desirable mechanic. Teams that want to take advantage of the other benefits are still free to do so.

Here is Hugh Freeze's response to that sentiment

"Since the start of football, defenses can line up wherever they want to," Freeze said. "They can move around as much as they want to before the snap. … They can do whatever they want to do, that's fine. I coach defense, too, that's great. The one thing that has always been offenses' deal is snapping the ball. That's the only thing we have."

Freeze also has to contend with Alabama, who is the richest of the rich.

"If anything, you may be making it more dangerous for the offensive line because they're going to face 12 five-star defensive linemen from Alabama rotating every three plays,"

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/93579/no-huddle-coaches-blast-ncaa-proposal

[TripletDaddy]

This would ruin the end of games. No spiking the ball with less 10 seconds left on the clock. I hate the rules committee.

There is an exception for the last 2 minutes of each half

lol. YOhio clearly not understanding the proposed rules.

[mtnbiker]

Even assuming that each play lasts about seven seconds (my guess is that it's somewhat less), that's still probably going to leave the clock at under 29 most of the time. The bigger effect, I think, is defenses knowing they have safe harbor until 29 seconds to sub in and out. .

I'm pretty sure the 10-second rule starts after the ball is down at the end of the previous play, so the length of time that a play lasts is irrelevant.

[All-American]

The Official Go-Hard-Go-Fast-Offense Critique Thread

I'm pretty sure the 10-second rule starts after the ball is down at the end of the previous play, so the length of time that a play lasts is irrelevant.

Well, see, that depends in what "seconds per play" measures. If it's only "seconds between plays," then you are absolutely right. Reading that article, however, it sounded like they were simply dividing the time of possession by number if plays, which would mean that "seconds per play" means the average time elapsed between snaps. It's an especially bad statistic when you consider clock stoppage after incomplete passes and running out of bounds.

Really, the only way to know how this rule would affect a fast-paced offense is to note the average time left on the play clock at each snap. I haven't seem anybody keeping track of that statistic. My gut feel, however, is that BYU almost always started the play with 29 seconds or less on the game clock.

[USUC]

Well, see, that depends in what "seconds per play" measures. If it's only "seconds between plays," then you are absolutely right. Reading that article, however, it sounded like they were simply dividing the time of possession by number if plays, which would mean that "seconds per play" means the average time elapsed between downs. It's an especially bad statistic when you consider clock stoppage after incomplete passes and running out of bounds.

Really, the only way to know how this rule would affect a fast-paced offense is to note the average time left on the play clock at each snap. I haven't seem anybody keeping track of that statistic. My gut feel, however, is that BYU almost always started the play with 29 seconds or less on the game clock.

I think BYU, going its fastest, had a play every 14 seconds or so. I think its true that, statistically speaking, plays run in under 10 seconds are few and far between. But if there are 60-70 plus plays, there are a handful of plays that would be affected. ESPN said that the Sugar Bowl between Oklahoma and Alabama (i think it was the Sugar Bowl) that Oklahoma would have been penalized 6 times under this rule. I don't think this becomes a rule.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Other rules proposed by Nick Saban

14 proposed Nick Saban safety rules for college football.

1. Auburn may no longer play college football.

This may seem unfair, but think of all the injuries that have occurred in the Iron Bowl.

Why put player safety at stake with another football game?

Instead, Alabama will play Samford each year in a newly rechristened "Alabama Dominates Bowl." (In order to ensure that Alabama beats Samford each year, Gus Malzahn may not coach Samford.)

In fact, just to be safe...

2. Gus Malzahn may not coach football anywhere.

Including high school, pee wee, and certain video games that simulate championships.

3. Only four and five star recruits can play on the field.

If you are not a four or five star recruit, then you are ineligible. Because, let's be honest, two and three star players only exist to injure the players who are actually good. If you do not have enough four or five star players then you may only play with the four or five star players you have on your roster. If it seems unfair to take the field with only three or four players, you are wrong. If you have no four or five star players at all, then Alabama will play three games against you.

And by "play three games against you," we actually mean, "start the season with three victories."

4. The SEC will move to nine conference games, but Alabama will play Kentucky six times each season.

Don't worry, guys, half of these games will be in Alabama and half will be in Lexington. This will keep those contests fair.

Meanwhile, LSU will play South Carolina twice, Florida twice, and Georgia twice. All on the road.

This may seem unfair, but that's only because you aren't thinking about what's in college football's best interest, which is clearly Alabama winning every game.

5. No field goal attempt may be returned for a touchdown.

Because those plays are dangerous, in that they require unathletic fat men to try and tackle athletic skinny men.

6. All teams must huddle on offense.

If you refuse to huddle, you receive a five yard penalty. If you continue to refuse to huddle on three consecutive plays then you are decapitated at midfield by a linebacker of Nick Saban's choosing.

7. Alabama players may sell their uniforms and gear after each game.

No other teams may sell their uniforms and gear after each game.

If this seems like a double standard, that's because it's twice as fair.

8. It is permissible for coaches to stand on stools on the sideline to see over the line of scrimmage.

If you do not have a stool, then one will be provided for you.

9. Repeat after me: 12 games of regular season football in a hurry up no huddle offense = a death wish.

Fifteen games of football in a smashmouth physically imposing style = a light Swedish massage.

If this seems confusing to you it's because you're a Tennessee fan.

10. No team wearing crimson may be called for holding.

My bad, that's already in the SEC officiating handbook.

11. When running a read option, mobile quarterbacks are not allowed to hand off to running backs.

This confuses the defense.

Confusion is bad for the game of football.

Do we really want one team winning because the other team is confused? Are we playing football or chess?

12. When Bret Bielema is fired from Arkansas, he is guaranteed a job at my Mercedes Benz dealership.

When Bret Bielema is fired at my Mercedes Benz dealership, he is is guaranteed a job cleaning my lakehouse.

When Bret Bielema is fired from his job cleaning my lakehouse, he will receive the Samford head coaching job for life.

13. The NCAA rulebook does not apply to Lane Kiffin.

In fact, any penalty that Lane Kiffin incurs will be assessed to Bruce Pearl, who is currently facing a 48 year show cause penalty for "Not saying, 'God bless you,' when an NCAA agent sneezed."

14. Regardless of the outcome of the season, Alabama is awarded the national championship.

This has always been true, but we figure it's time to go ahead and codify this rule for posterity's sake.

http://msn.foxsports.com/college-football/outkick-the-coverage/nick-saban-proposes-new-rules-for-college-football.php