This is one of the most suspenseful moments of the game, whether a team is trying to drive down the field for a game-tying or game-winning score. It's also one of the most controversial at times.
The team trying to drive down field has no timeouts and roughly two minutes left in the game to go get that necessary score. As everybody knows, a play that goes out of bounds stops the clock and for any play that is dead in the field of play without a first down, the clock continues to run and the offense needs to get lined up quickly for the next play, to spike the ball to stop the clock or run another play . The latter condition really bothers me in the college game.
Why?
There are a couple of reasons.
First, if a play is finished in the field without a first down and the clock runs since the offense is out of timeouts, the defensive player making the stop would lay on top of the player with the ball to let the clock continue running without the offense being able to get realigned. This is a problem. An offensive player can try to get the player laying on the ball carrier off but he can't throw him aside, since that would be a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, 15-yard penalty or half the distance to the goal, depending on where the offense is in the field. So if an offensive player can't get a defensive player off of the ball carrier without warranting a penalty, the defensive player has to get off of the ball carrier so the offense can get reset. My pet peeve is when the defensive player just lays on top of the ball carrier, and the official does not at least throw a delay-of-game flag on the defensive player. There should be a rule that if a play is finished in the field and a defensive player lays on the ball carrier for more than one second, it's a delay of game, five yard penalty, no questions asked. The clock would stop and should be reset to the time of when the 'delay of game' takes place, and then the official should then restart play again on the snap due to a penalty.
Here is an example: Wisconsin vs Arizona State, September 14, 2013, last play* of regulation.
Time left in game: 18 seconds.
Possession: Wisconsin, 1st & 10 at Arizona State 13 yard-line, no timeouts, clock stopped because the previous play was a complete pass for a first down and out of bounds.
The Play: Joel Stave (Wisconsin quarterback) takes snap from under center and runs to the left, and takes a knee so the play is finished. 16 seconds remain on the clock at this point. Stave has gotten up (now clock is at 15 seconds), put the ball on the ground after the play has ended (play ended at the 15-yard line of Arizona State) so the official can pick up the ball to re-spot it, as the Badgers offense is getting up to the line to spike the ball and kill the clock. But why can't Wisconsin get another play off?
One of Arizona State's defenders jumps on the ball with 12 seconds left thinking it's a fumble, but the whistle has been blown already so the play was dead. How long does that defender stay on the ball? 6 seconds. SIX seconds. So the defender gets up, the clock's still running as the ball is being spotted, four,... official over the ball says "no go" with his hand at THREE seconds left and Wisconsin doesn't get the ball snapped until the clock already expires, and can't get the play off.
What's the problem here?
First, the 'delay of game'. Based on my rationale and this example, the clock should be put at 12 seconds and the ball should be put at the Arizona State 10-yard line where it would be second down and seven yards to go. Wisconsin would then have two options: Quarterback can roll out to one side and throw the ball away to kill five or six seconds or the team can bring out its field goal team immediately.
So there are twelve seconds left on the clock, the clock is stopped and let's say the Wisconsin offense stays on the field to do option number one. If they do what I assume would happen, then it's third down and seven at the 10 yard line with six or seven seconds left in regulation, clock is stopped, and the Badgers attempt the field goal. Obviously there's no guarantee that the kicker makes it, but at least there is the opportunity to kick it. Fair and square.
If the second option is done, whether the kick is made or not, at least the team got the chance to attempt the field goal, and the game is decided in a fair fashion.
If this 'field goal' was made, then Wisconsin takes a 33-32 lead with anywhere from two to eight seconds remaining in the game, and would kick the ball off to ASU who only has one timeout remaining and has to some how get into field goal range before the clock running out. Likely Wisconsin wins if the field goal is made. But if the field goal attempt is missed, Wisconsin just fell to a good team in a hard-fought game without having the game decided by the officials.
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