After watching all the flops last week, it seems a rule needs to be considered in the off-season. One possible solution - if a player goes down and the game has to be stopped, they're not allowed back on the field for the rest of the quarter plus the next quarter. Any thoughts?
Mississippi Fainting Goats
- Thread starter Islandbird
- Start date
That's overkill in my opinion. I do think something needs to be done about it, but there has to be a reasonable alternative.
Someone else suggested the player has to sit out until a change of possession. I think that's too much as well.
I was thinking something along the lines of the player has to be out a certain number of plays (like 5) before being allowed to return. This would mean a team couldn't simply keep having different players go down intentionally and have one return. If it happens on consecutive plays, then the defense would be without both of those players for 4 plays.
Someone else suggested the player has to sit out until a change of possession. I think that's too much as well.
I was thinking something along the lines of the player has to be out a certain number of plays (like 5) before being allowed to return. This would mean a team couldn't simply keep having different players go down intentionally and have one return. If it happens on consecutive plays, then the defense would be without both of those players for 4 plays.
My rule was - if the ref has to stop the game for your injury, you can't come back into the game until there has been a change of possession.
Edit: but the NCAA wouldn't let it be so simple. They'll come up with some "minimum number of plays" one has to sit out to be "evaluated" by medical protocol, must be fully vaxxed, and must register to vote during the routine exam. Lol.
Edit: but the NCAA wouldn't let it be so simple. They'll come up with some "minimum number of plays" one has to sit out to be "evaluated" by medical protocol, must be fully vaxxed, and must register to vote during the routine exam. Lol.
Again, that is excessive. One of the things rule makers would have to try avoid is punishing players who really do get a little "dinged" during a play. When Mike Davis (the second one) was here, he was constantly getting injured legitimately, but he often found his way back to the field well sooner than 10 plays later.
I don't think sitting out until a change of possession is excessive because of the randomness of football. It would all equal out. Keep in mind, in my example - you might come out with a ding and the very next play could literally result in a fumble, interception, FG, or TD. I'd be ok with the player being able to come back after a TD --- and thus technically not a change of possession - he can come back for the extra point try or the 2 point try - offensive or defensive player.
Flip side, if an offense goes on a long, 16 play, 10 minute drive.....oh well. Sit down. The randomness *IS* the penalty. You don't know and can't plan for it. Only thing you can do as a coach is discourage "faking" an injury. Makes sense to me.
I admit the example I am going to use is extreme, but it's still relevant. We had a drive that was nine minutes long yesterday. It's ridiculous to punish a player for that long for getting a minor injury. Many possessions last around 5 minutes, but even that is a long time.
Again, the problem is trying to find a balance between discouraging fake injuries and real ones, but I think the powers that be have to err on the side of assuming the majority of injuries are real. Instead, have a minimum of five plays that have to be missed. That is a significant amount of missed playing time without being excessive.
I tend to agree with your overall thinking - my only thing is, we have to account for the refs too....
They already got too much to deal with and eventually it would get "clunky" with multiple injuries on back to back plays , multiple players - the TV networks would have to come up with some sort of visual representation (play countdown to return type thing) of how many plays this guy have to sit out, and how many plays this has to sit out, etc.... I see it getting clunky quick and errors made: Ie, player returning after only sitting 4 plays.
How about a compromise? Can't return until change of possession, FG, or TD is made .....*OR* a 5 min max countdown?
This way a kid could literally return the very next play in quite a few cases. But on long drives the max would be 5 min. That would still introduce some un-needed confusion imho, but it is a compromise.
I think the easiest thing would be to have an extra official whose only job was to keep track of these types of things. I do like the idea of a "which ever comes first" type of thing.
I would also add that if a player goes down twice or maybe three times, he should have to sit for a significant amount of time.
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