Watson: on the field or in the box

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Sounds like Watson may call plays from upstairs in the coaches box as opposed to being on the field:

Linky-Doo

On another matter, Watson hasn't decided whether he'll call plays from the field or the press box.

 

"It has a lot to do with what I'm comfortable with. And that has a little to do with the 40-second clock, " said Watson, referring to a change in college football rules.

 

Instead of using a 25-second play clock that doesn’t start until officials mark the ball ready for play, college football will now use a 40-second clock that will start at the end of the preceding play.

 

The 25-second clock still will be used on the first play following a change of possession, as well as after penalties, measurements and timeouts.

 

"I have to admit I'm thinking about it a lot," Watson said of his decision regarding where he'll call plays from. "But I'm not going to overthink it. I'm just going to kind of let it happen naturally. I'd rather be upstairs, but we'll see."

This begs the question: Did Watson coach upstairs last year because he wanted too or because he was told to?

 

[DCHusker]

This begs the question: Did Watson coach upstairs last year because he wanted too or because he was told to?

I'll guess cause he was told to...

I'm a little confused, does 40 seconds from the end of the last play generally give you more or less time between plays than 25 seconds from when the ball is spotted?

Is it better to be on the field if there's less time and in the box if you have more time, or the other way around?

 

[huskernumerouno]

Why do they keep f'ing with the play clock. Leave that part of the game alone.

 

[Husker_x]

Is this just a consistency thing? How much time does it usually eat up for the refs to place the ball and start the clock? If the actual game clock keeps running for each of those forty-second periods, it seems to me offenses could sit around for quite awhile. Not sure, though.

It seems every year someone wants to shorten the game. I got news, though. I don't want a shorter football game. If anything, I want more football, not less.

 

[tattooedhusker]

:yeah precisely

 

[junior4949]

2 things. First, if Watson is more comfortable calling plays from upstairs then by all means sit upstairs and call the plays. The QB coach, RB coach, etc. can talk to the players on the fied. Second, it appears to me that by changing the play clock they have made the officials job that much harder to track it. I used to ref., and the 25 second clock was easy. When the ball was placed, we simply started our stop watch. Now, it's totally a judgement call when to start the 40 second clock at the end of the play. It's also unfair if you have ref's that are slow placing the ball because it could actually shorten the game quite a bit. IMO, this new rule change will not last.

 

[Igetbored216]

2 things. First, if Watson is more comfortable calling plays from upstairs then by all means sit upstairs and call the plays. The QB coach, RB coach, etc. can talk to the players on the fied. Second, it appears to me that by changing the play clock they have made the officials job that much harder to track it. I used to ref., and the 25 second clock was easy. When the ball was placed, we simply started our stop watch. Now, it's totally a judgement call when to start the 40 second clock at the end of the play. It's also unfair if you have ref's that are slow placing the ball because it could actually shorten the game quite a bit. IMO, this new rule change will not last.

As soon as the play is over, they start the 40 second play clock for the next play...how is this subjective?

 

[junior4949]

2 things. First, if Watson is more comfortable calling plays from upstairs then by all means sit upstairs and call the plays. The QB coach, RB coach, etc. can talk to the players on the fied. Second, it appears to me that by changing the play clock they have made the officials job that much harder to track it. I used to ref., and the 25 second clock was easy. When the ball was placed, we simply started our stop watch. Now, it's totally a judgement call when to start the 40 second clock at the end of the play. It's also unfair if you have ref's that are slow placing the ball because it could actually shorten the game quite a bit. IMO, this new rule change will not last.

As soon as the play is over, they start the 40 second play clock for the next play...how is this subjective?

Who determines when the play is over? If it's when they blow the play dead which I assume it will be, you have problems because the sideline refs are marking where the ball should be placed at either hash marks or center of the field. You have the ump taking the ball to place it. I realize they have more ref's than we did running a 4 man crew, but that essentially leaves the head ref starting the 40 second clock when he's supposed to be managing the rest of the game. Now, let's assume you have a play end near a sideline. You have a 300+ pound ump waddling the ball back to the hash mark. Well, you get my drift why this could really suck for the offense giving them less time.

 

[Igetbored216]

2 things. First, if Watson is more comfortable calling plays from upstairs then by all means sit upstairs and call the plays. The QB coach, RB coach, etc. can talk to the players on the fied. Second, it appears to me that by changing the play clock they have made the officials job that much harder to track it. I used to ref., and the 25 second clock was easy. When the ball was placed, we simply started our stop watch. Now, it's totally a judgement call when to start the 40 second clock at the end of the play. It's also unfair if you have ref's that are slow placing the ball because it could actually shorten the game quite a bit. IMO, this new rule change will not last.

As soon as the play is over, they start the 40 second play clock for the next play...how is this subjective?

Who determines when the play is over? If it's when they blow the play dead which I assume it will be, you have problems because the sideline refs are marking where the ball should be placed at either hash marks or center of the field. You have the ump taking the ball to place it. I realize they have more ref's than we did running a 4 man crew, but that essentially leaves the head ref starting the 40 second clock when he's supposed to be managing the rest of the game. Now, let's assume you have a play end near a sideline. You have a 300+ pound ump waddling the ball back to the hash mark. Well, you get my drift why this could really suck for the offense giving them less time.

Okay...again, how is it subjective? The whistle blows the play dead, they start the 40 second play clock for the next play. Your argument is more that it may give the offense less time depending on how long it takes to set the ball, not that it is difficult to determine when to start the clock...

 

[huskernumerouno]

Is this just a consistency thing? How much time does it usually eat up for the refs to place the ball and start the clock? If the actual game clock keeps running for each of those forty-second periods, it seems to me offenses could sit around for quite awhile. Not sure, though.

It seems every year someone wants to shorten the game. I got news, though. I don't want a shorter football game. If anything, I want more football, not less.

Exactly

 

[DCHusker]

it may give the offense less time depending on how long it takes to set the ball

You're right, I think that was his point...that the offense will have a different amount of time on every play after the ball is spotted, depending on how long it takes to spot the ball, instead of a guaranteed 25 seconds on every play...

 

[Igetbored216]

it may give the offense less time depending on how long it takes to set the ball

You're right, I think that was his point...that the offense will have a different amount of time on every play after the ball is spotted, depending on how long it takes to spot the ball, instead of a guaranteed 25 seconds on every play...

But while the ball is being placed, couldn't the QB get the play from the coach, relay the play to the offense, and lineup so they can snap the ball once it is placed?

 

[Husker_x]

it may give the offense less time depending on how long it takes to set the ball

You're right, I think that was his point...that the offense will have a different amount of time on every play after the ball is spotted, depending on how long it takes to spot the ball, instead of a guaranteed 25 seconds on every play...

The fact that we'd even have to ask a question like this speaks to the stupidity of this change. Can anyone explain to me just what the hell was wrong with the way we've done things for years? Talk about reinventing the wheel.

 

[DJR313]

Is this just a consistency thing? How much time does it usually eat up for the refs to place the ball and start the clock? If the actual game clock keeps running for each of those forty-second periods, it seems to me offenses could sit around for quite awhile. Not sure, though.

It seems every year someone wants to shorten the game. I got news, though. I don't want a shorter football game. If anything, I want more football, not less.

They want the game itself to be shorter so there is more time for commercials. Eventually it will just be a running clock. This crap is getting ridiculous.

 

[HuskersNow]

Is this just a consistency thing? How much time does it usually eat up for the refs to place the ball and start the clock? If the actual game clock keeps running for each of those forty-second periods, it seems to me offenses could sit around for quite awhile. Not sure, though.

It seems every year someone wants to shorten the game. I got news, though. I don't want a shorter football game. If anything, I want more football, not less.

They want the game itself to be shorter so there is more time for commercials. Eventually it will just be a running clock. This crap is getting ridiculous.

Eventually, the game will be all commercials and at the end they will tell us who won while simultaneously doing a commercial.