Running clock has little impact
Clock runs during kickoffs and between possessions.
Published Sept. 22, 2006
Rule changes designed to shorten games have cut down on the number of plays, but MU players and coaches said the new rules aren't having much of an impact on them.
Under the new rules, the clock starts on kickoffs when the kicker's foot touches the ball and starts when the whistle is blown and the ball is set for play.
Last year, the clock didn't start until the receiving team touched the ball on kickoffs and when the ball was snapped on a possession change.
Nationwide, offenses are running fewer plays, but MU coach Gary Pinkel said the changes mean the offense has to be ready to go sooner. He said a team could waste 15 seconds before snapping the ball after a change in possession under the new rule.
"You've got to be cautious," Pinkel said.
Pinkel said that though the changes have meant fewer plays per game, it is not as much of a problem for the Tigers, which led the nation in plays run last year.
MU averages 10-15 more offensive plays per game than the national average, which Pinkel attributes to the fast-paced tempo of the Tigers' offense.
Sophomore quarterback Chase Daniel said the rule changes mean "you have to hurry it up. You can't take your time."
Pinkel said he believes the changes were made to help the television networks.
Texas coach Mack Brown was more adamant about the changes, railing against them in an article on ESPN.com following his team's loss against Ohio State. Brown said the new rules took away his team's chance to come back.
Pinkel said he's unsure if any changes needed to be made. Some commentators have suggested that the new timing rules be used until the final minutes of a game, at which point the old rules would go into effect.
Pinkel said that with the three-week-old season, there is not enough information to analyze whether change is needed. After the season, he said, the NCAA will analyze how the rule changes affected games this season.
Senior safety David Overstreet said the new rules didn't bother him much.
"As long as they snap the ball, I'm ready to play," he said.
The new rules helped Missouri as New Mexico tried to come back in the fourth quarter last week.
But senior linebacker Dedrick Harrington played down the changes.
"We have to continue to work hard, continue to make big plays," Harrington said.