College Football Rule Changes and How it Impacts Betting

The NCAA approved some rule changes that could impact the betting experience for those who wager on college football. Longtime college football bettors will find that there are some new wrinkles on the field this upcoming season that, if you weren’t prepared for ahead of time, could take you by surprise. So let’s brace ourselves for some of the changes so we don’t get caught off-guard in the middle of a game. There are three main rule changes, with one, in particular, seeming to be the most impactful. Let’s break it down!

Clock Stops After First Downs

For over a half-century, the clock has stopped after first downs in college ball, a differentiating characteristic from the pro game. From now on, the clock will roll on first-down plays unless the player goes out of bounds. This is in keeping with what seems to be an urge throughout the world of sports to shorten games. The rules committee maintains that this rule change could result in about seven fewer plays per game, which seems like a low estimate, as the real total might be closer to ten.

A few things make this change in rules perhaps not so crazy. One is that the clock will still be stopped on first-down plays inside of two minutes in either half. That’s actually when most people would even notice whether the clock is stopped following the first down plays. So, it’s not really going to put an end to late-game dramatics when a team that is down is driving and battling against the clock or looking to end a half well. It might make the game go faster, but when it really matters in crunch time, it will still be business as usual as it relates to the clock late in games.

With the clock stopping after each first down, it’s a big reason we’ve seen college football games increasing in time lately. With the right opponents in the right kind of close game, some of these contests can take an eternity. It creates TV scheduling issues and an unevenness to the game slate that is untidy for many involved. Sure, one could say that the NCAA is addressing a problem that no one was really complaining about, at least from a fan perspective. For a lot of us, it takes two hours just to dig into our seats and get comfortable. When looking at the issues fans and bettors have about college football, the time spent watching the game doesn’t even rank in the top 40.

And let’s not forget how much time is added to a game on the basis of commercial breaks, drawn-out reviews, fattening up the halftime periods, etc. With most of those things equaling more revenue, the NCAA wasn’t going to change those details, leaving the running of the clock as the scapegoat. But at least we won’t be denied the pleasure of seeing great finishes to games, as the last two minutes of each half is spared from this rules change, meaning teams will still have those late-game opportunities without being chewed up by the clock in the final two minutes.

You can make the case that this rules change benefits teams that look to condense the game, run fewer plays, and control the time-of-possession battle. We will have to wait and see if this rules change will be actionable in that sense. Take a team that is trying to run the ball, like Michigan, for instance, and now perhaps they inherit a slight advantage with fewer plays and fewer opportunities for the opponent to stop the clock. It could conceivably play to the strength of such a team. The context of a game might feel slightly less prolonged, but perhaps not enough to shift your perspective on a team or a potential result. Until shown different, there is no reason to uphaul your handicapping to accommodate this rules change. It might just seem like games are moving along a little more quickly.

Again, we will have to see as several different viewpoints all have merit on this topic. Fewer plays could equal less scoring. Getting rid of so many clock stoppages decreases the chance of offenses to extend their possessions, which would lead to less scoring. Coaches have to practice more clock management, which could lead to a decrease in the quality of play-calling. Teams more against the clock might be more mistake-prone, which, again, results in less scoring. There are also those, however, who feel having a more free and continuous flow to the game is more beneficial to scoring, particularly with teams with hurry-up offenses who might now elect for that ploy earlier in games than they did prior to the rule change.

No Consecutive Timeouts

Another potential time-saving measure, timeouts will no longer be permitted to be called consecutively. The most commonplace occurrence of this is late in the first half or especially at the end of the game involving a kicker. Timeouts could be called to “ice” the kicker. Oftentimes, the team that is looking to set up an FG will call a timeout, leaving just enough time on the clock to set up the kick. Customarily, the opposing team would call a timeout or even two to allow the jitters to settle in on the young kicker. With the new rules, this will no longer be permitted. But if the kicking team doesn’t call a timeout prior to the attempt, the opponent can still, in effect, attempt to ice the kicker with a timeout.

Another potential fallout from this rule change is when an offense calls a timeout and comes out for the next play in a different formation. Whereas a confused defense could call a timeout before, it would now be consecutive and, therefore, not allowed. This could result in certain plays in a game where a defense has to adjust on the fly. As far as bettors taking preemptive action on this rule, it’s hard to explain how that would even occur. Could it help the FG% of kickers or benefit teams that tend to throw off opposing defenses with tricky formations? It could, but it seems like it could have an overall negligible impact on actual gameplay.

Elimination of Untimed Downs at the End of the First and Third Quarters

A rule change that many might not even notice and that won’t even affect most games, it concerns the final down in the first and third quarters where a defensive penalty occurs. Prior to this season, the end of a quarter could not occur following a defensive penalty. Now, the penalty will be meted out in the first play of the following quarter, as opposed to prolonging the previous quarter for one more play. Another measure enacted for the sake of saving time, it’s hard to imagine this rule change impacting the wagering of games.