Clock Management

[abPNUT]

How many games have you seen where the clock management either won or lost the game? I think some coaches are just better at this part of the game.

[1970]

Ok, at first glance I thought this thread was going somewhere else.  Such as what happened in Huntsville last night. If you're the referee and the play clocks are malfunctioning, how are you supposed to handle that?  At one point early on the ref directed the press box to just turn the clocks off. I wasn't at the game, was just watching live stream on you tube, so I couldn't actually see the clocks. Reportedly they came back on but were out of synch. 

[abPNUT]

26 minutes ago, 1970 said:

Ok, at first glance I thought this thread was going somewhere else.  Such as what happened in Huntsville last night. If you're the referee and the play clocks are malfunctioning, how are you supposed to handle that?  At one point early on the ref directed the press box to just turn the clocks off. I wasn't at the game, was just watching live stream on you tube, so I couldn't actually see the clocks. Reportedly they came back on but were out of synch. 

I saw also. It was not handled well and it's not what I was thinking about when I started this thread.

I'm asking about coaching and the coach's role in using the clock as an edge. And, incidentally, PNG coach Jeff Joseph seems to be really good at it.

There's many different things to consider. Forcing TOs, staying in-bounds, running vs passing etc. 

It just seems boring but I think it's underrated.

 

[Bigdog]

4 hours ago, 1970 said:

Ok, at first glance I thought this thread was going somewhere else.  Such as what happened in Huntsville last night. If you're the referee and the play clocks are malfunctioning, how are you supposed to handle that?  At one point early on the ref directed the press box to just turn the clocks off. I wasn't at the game, was just watching live stream on you tube, so I couldn't actually see the clocks. Reportedly they came back on but were out of synch. 

I believe the refs are supposed to keep time on the field if the clocks aren’t working in that case.

[SmashMouth]

On 10/5/2024 at 11:23 PM, Bigdog said:

I believe the refs are supposed to keep time on the field if the clocks aren’t working in that case.

That is correct sir. 

[tvc184]

On 10/5/2024 at 6:42 PM, abPNUT said:

How many games have you seen where the clock management either won or lost the game? I think some coaches are just better at this part of the game.

Going back to 1964, 123 to date……

[Rez]

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Relevant example from yesterday. Short version - Bills get ball back with 30 seconds left in the game. Throw three deep incompletions. Leave Texans enough time to run a play and kick the game-winning field goal. (Incompletions give the other team clock time. Calling high-variable pass plays is bad clock management). 

[abPNUT]

6 hours ago, Rez said:

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Relevant example from yesterday. Short version - Bills get ball back with 30 seconds left in the game. Throw three deep incompletions. Leave Texans enough time to run a play and kick the game-winning field goal. (Incompletions give the other team clock time. Calling high-variable pass plays is bad clock management). 

Yup!

[abPNUT]

Without quoting Rez again... And it's a perfect example of how bad clock management can screw up your win probability. 

I can point the 5AD2 title game last year and call that historic win a MASTERPIECE of excellence in clock management. The onside kick and forcing TOs before Coach Todd even knew he was beaten by the odds.

Time outs are undervalued and sometimes, and it's the HC's job, to manage the gameplan. And, if a HC is 12-0 in one score games, we should look at how this is related to using the time, in any given game, as an edge. 
 

If a team wins by 30 points the clock doesn't matter. If a team is always ahead or nearly behind, against another great team, in a close game, and the other team is always out of TOs? It's an edge.

The clock management strategy was already happening in games like this when a coach knows how to game the clock/ It was happening in the 1st half and managing possessions going into the 2nd half. 
 

I watch NCAA and HSFB almost exclusively. I like Texas, ATM and LSU. Les Miles made me go bald on Clock.

 

[abPNUT]

Even in the PNG v Huntsville game. The shanked punt was the only reason HV had a chance to get to OT. The game really wasn't that close. The play clock, and everyone has talked about this, was a drive-killer for the NDNs. They had to make more plays than they needed to. 
 

In the end.. PNG forced a long FG and the clock was an issue.