Assume this is from a SEC press release, but I got it from Dandy Don: I like all of the changes except for the number announcement. I don't dislike it but I always thought numbers weren't announced so as to not "single out" the penalized player. Why announce the number? What's the benefit gained from changing the status quo?
I think it can benefit the players if it is not blatenly clear who did what, cause then they know they did it, it can be confidence breaker or booster depending on the player, it also helps for practice the next week, the player can look at film and know what they got called for.
Please don't tell me you are looking out for their feelings? These are football players and if they are too thin skinned to be blamed for jumping offsides or holding then they should not be playing. Baseball players are singled out all the time - if E3 is called you know exactly who commited the error. They have perservered just fine.
Sylvester Croom was asked about that yesterday. He said "if you do the crime, do the time". They are getting paid. Free college education.
I agree they announce the player on the tube anyway, then show a slow motion replay of him brabbing the guys shirt, then put up a profile of him with his weight size and major, and then they mention that it's his third holding penalty of the day and the he's been getting his a$$ kickied all day. The option to tack on the penalty is nice, that's fair, but that last one is going to cause havoc. If I'm a smart coach, I teach my guys guys on defense that if they see a guy from the opposing team running onto the field as a last second substitution and there are three seconds left, just run around until the time expires so the offense gets a penalty every time.
Forcing the refs to call the player's number is good. It makes the refs accountable. I think that is the main reason the rules have been changed. You can't have any phantom holding calls on the offense. If a ref sees it he has to clearly identify the guilty party. It makes the refs accountable. The big ten this year is trying replay for conference games. I suspect the other bcs conferences will make refs more accountable.
The coaches need to know. The refs dont always run over to the coaches to give them a courtesy update.
Gandalf, you read that wrong It's not what the defense does, they are saying that if a sub runs on the field that late and the defense does not have time to adjust because of it then they are going to penalize the offense. It doesn't matter what the defense does. If a sub runs on the field with only 5 secons left till the play clock expires it will end up costing the offense 5 yards, that's what they are basically saying.
