What do you call losing time off the clock? If I'm reading this right, they are putting this in, for this scenario. The offense is up by less than a score and trying to run the clock down. The defense, with no timeouts, wants the clock to stop. So, they have a player lose their helmet. (In a sense, it's not a lot different than faking injuries...but that's a rule for another day I'd assume.) So, instead of an automatic stoppage of play—due to the player having to run to the sidelines to sit his "penalty"—the ball's put back in play and they automatically run the clock down 10 seconds. Is that how you're seeing this? It wouldn't work two/both ways because if the offense is wanting to kill the clock they can take a knee. I don't recall a game this past season when something like this came into play. However, that doesn't take FCS, DII, and DIII games into account...and we have to take into account there's only two representatives from FBS play on the rule committee. There has to be something that's led to this proposal...one can only assume it's something that's happened in the last year, right?
I don't believe I've ever ran across this site before, but read how this guy puts it: NFL and NCAA football officials use the “10-second runoff rule” to punish teams for committing certain penalties that stop the clock in the final minute of either half -- or in the overtime period, in the case of NFL games. If the game clock has less than 10 seconds left when the referee orders the runoff, the half or game can end on this ruling. Rationale for the Rule Before this rule was instituted, an offensive team with no remaining timeouts could deliberately commit a violation -- such as a false start, an illegal forward pass, a backward pass out of bounds or a ball spiked or thrown from the field of play after a play ended -- to stop the clock. The penalty resulted in lost yardage, but the clock stopped, and the punished team then ran a play. This tactic allowed teams to stop the clock in the final 10 seconds without using a timeout and then run one last play.
I don't follow the NFL other than watching scores throughout the season and occasionally watching the post-season. The rule was enacted by the NFL in the off-season of 2010, I believe. Since that point, the only time I recall it being a major part of the storyline was this past season; former A&M receiver who was hurt in the last few seconds of the game. I can't recall his name, the team, or how that game ended other than the injury could have been a deciding factor in the game. A UT fan brought up their bowl game in Nashville last night. They were playing UNC and the 'heels spiked the ball in the last few seconds, stopped the clock, and kicked a field goal for the win. If the rule would have been in place the Vols fan claims the clock would have run itself out. I recall the game, vaguely, so I'm not sure if it fits. OH, Mike Evans...that's the A&M receiver...
I've been thinking about how many teams that will effect if it's passed. Just within our conference we have teams like Auburn, Ole Miss, A&M, and to a lesser degree Mississippi State that have used the pass out of a run blocking formation to success. Outside of the SEC it's been a part of Baylor's offense, part of Rich Rod's at Arizona State, and like Mississippi State it's been used to a lesser degree with teams like Kansas State. This is a little ironic to me. If you take the schools listed here, you'll find five of the seven have head coaches who were very vocal about the 10-second rule proposal last year.
