On a different note, they have to modify the situation that allows the referee to hold up play to allow for substitution and leaving the field. The problem is that the play clock is not stopped. I think Rutgers used that to its advantage in the Virginia Tech game by taking a late, slow jog to the sideline while V-Tech's play clock expired. That was smart on Rutgers part but overall it is not very fair to the team ready to snap the ball to have that happen.
YES.. there should be time limits when both the offense can sub and when teh defense can sub. The play clock is 45 seconds.. give them 15 seconds to initiate substitution and, outside a 2-minute WARNING of each half prevent the offense from snapping the ball for those first 15 seconds.. giving the D 15 seconds to sub in if it wants to.
- The O can still do a quasi-hurry-up offense and snap the ball after the first 15 seconds.
If the O begins a sub inside those 15 seconds, then the D gets to sub, and the ref can hold up the snap, as they do today, but has to allow the snap when the play clock reaches 15 seconds left. This incentivizes the D to sub quickly and stop playing these clock games.
- Inside 2-minutes the O can snap right away and a D sub is at its own risk. Also.. allow players leaving the field to be technically on the field if they are near teh sidelines and do not get involved in the play. But to enter the field while a play is ongoing is still a penalty.
To summarize, the O can sub ONLY within 15 seconds of the play clock, and if the O subs, then the D must sub before the play clock stops at 15 seconds. And, outside the 2-minute mark of each half, the O cannot snap the ball for the first 15 seconds.
And while we are at rule changes.. these forward basses behind the LOS are a real problem. No blocker should be blocking beyond the LOS on any pass.. before that pass is caught. Too many times you see balls caught just at the LOS where now a ref must figure out exactly where the ball was caught and if WRs blocking downfield were legal or not. Just make it illegal and not worry about where the ball is caught. And on the offense side, pass interference should apply on balls trying to be caught behind the LOS.. like screen passes. We recently had 2 tunnel screens where a defender just grabbed the intended receiver's arm.
