By Staff
Coaching Management, 9.4, May 2001, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/cm/cm0904/bbtimeout.htm
Seeking a smoother flow to games, the NCAA Football Rules Committee addressed time-outs in two rules changes for the upcoming 2001 season. At its February meeting, the committee also reemphasized the importance of sportsmanship and safety to players and coaches.
To improve the flow of the game, a new rule allows a charged-team time-out to be 30 seconds long, if so desired by the team calling the time-out. The rule previously allotted 90 seconds for charged- team time-outs, unless the team calling the time-out wished to resume play before one minute expired and the opposing team was ready.
“There are situations when a team simply wants to stop the game clock to save time or to avoid a delay-of-game penalty before the play clock expires,” Committee Chair Max Urick, Athletics Director at Kansas State University, said in an NCAA press release. “This change will enable time-outs taken in those instances to be brief and not interrupt the flow of the game.”
Seeking to maintain the intensity of overtime, the committee also voted to eliminate radio and television time-outs during extra periods. “Once overtime starts, any extended breaks not related to normal game activity are detrimental to most parties involved,” Urick said.
The committee noted that the current rules regarding sportsmanship and safety were adequate, but stressed that coaches and student-athletes alike need to be continually reminded of their importance. The committee expressed its concern about illegal blocks and the use of the helmet in tackling, which have become more frequent in recent years.