Rules Are Meant to Be Broken or Changed

In my previous post, I wrote about how football has really become less important to me in my sport watching endeavors.  A good portion of the reasoning behind it is because of the slow nature of the game.  The time between plays, the dragging out by using up all the time on the time clock, etc.  I have come up with a few ideas that I feel would improve the flow of the game and make it more appealing.  

Change the play clock.  This is a big one for me because if there is one thing that really irritates me is a team using up all of the play clock before snapping the ball.  I know a good portion of the time they are waiting for the ball to be snapped is spent watching the defense to see what they are going to do and then changing the play.  Or if it is near the end of the game, and the winning team has the ball, they are running out the clock.  If you change the play clock to twenty five seconds instead of forty, it would speed the game up just a little bit.  Fifteen seconds doesn't sound like a lot until you start to compound it over the course of the game.  

Less time outs, less challenges.  I don't really like coach's challenges.  I like even less the fact that they get two.  It makes a slow game even slower.  However, with all the instant replay, thousands of cameras, and even more angles in which we can see the play, you know that it needs to stay in the game because of all the scutiny the officiating gets.  I'm a big fan of allowing just one challenge per team per game.  If they are successful with their challenge, they are given one more.  Or, if you really want to get creative, give a team twenty challenges at the start of the season, but with no opportunity to earn more.  That would put more strategy into the entire season instead of just one game.

Eliminate quarters, move to halves.  You would eliminate two times in which the game stops, play is halted, and momentum of the teams (whether it is the defense or offense playing well).  This idea would never happen, but it's just a thought.  

The final idea, and my favorite idea, is instead of having a play clock of forty (or even twenty five) seconds is to give the offensive team three minutes to score or turn the ball over.  Think about how exciting the 'two minute drill' is during any given game.  The time between plays is shorter, the players pick up the pace to getting onto the scrimmage line, the fans really get into the game.  If, by the end of the three minutes, the team has not scored or turned the ball over, the opponent gets the ball just like it was a turnover on downs.  People look at the 'two minute drill' as a good way to analyze the team.  On both the offensive and defensive side.  How quickly can your team adjust to an uptempo opponent?  With less standing around, you can see which team or players are game ready and in shape.  How quickly can you get your substitutions on and off the field?  

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