• The KillerFrogs

Making the Case Against TV Timeouts

HToady

Full Member
I sat in the stands last game, and mentally took account of where the time goes that cause college football games to run 4 hours with the first half quarters going an hour each. Here's what I saw.

TV timeouts. These occur after every punt or exchange of possession. The fat guy in the red shirt comes out with a giant digital clock that says 2 minutes, 30 seconds on it. Lets assume 6 possession changes per quarter, that would be 15 minutes.

After a score. Let's assume 2 per quarter. That's 5 minutes.

Timeouts. Let's say 3 per quarter (both teams). That would be 7.5 minutes.

Injury. Let's say 1. That would be 2.5 minutes. Probably goes longer

Official reviews. Let's say 2. That would be 5 minutes, but probably go longer since the refs can't simply look up at the jumbotron.

Quarter change. That's 5 minutes.

That"s 40 minutes. That leaves 20 minutes of actual play and between downs when the clock is not running.

In most cases, TV doesn't breakaway for team timeouts, injuries (unless they are prolonged) or official reviews.

This doesn't include time spent in advertising during the halftime, which runs about 25 minutes.

By the time the 4th quarter rolls around the fat guy in the red shirt is flailing his arms around trying to get the game to move on and does not take the breaks after each change in possession. This is because of poor planning and the possibility of running into the next scheduled game.

The simple solution would be to outlaw TV timeouts and force them to work within the existing "other" timeouts. That would cut at least 30 minutes out of each game.

Not difficult math, you certainly wouldn't run a manufacturing plant this way.....it could be done.
 

Limey Frog

Full Member
I think this would actually help advertisers, too. At this point I never leave my TV on a game with commercials because I know exactly how long it will be until play resumes. If they squeezed thirty-second commercials in here and there as possible, I wouldn't risk jumping away from my game.
 
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Wexahu

Full Member
I think this would actually help advertisers, too. At this point I never leave my TV on a game with commercials because I know exactly how long it will be until play resumes. If they squeezed thirty second commercials in here and there as possible, I wouldn't risk jumping away from my game.

I’ve never understood how advertisers can justify the ridiculous cost of these commercials. I’m like you, I never watch them during a game. I change the channel to another game almost 100% of the time.

And it is absolutely brutal sitting through all the time outs when at the game. They seem to take forever.
 

Big Frog II

Active Member
They are out of control. They are going to run off the young fans for sure. They need to do what the do in soccer. Shrink the screen and put a banner around the picture.
2 1/2 minute commercial breaks are outrageous.
 

Chew

Active Member
Rugby super imposes sponsor logos on the field. It shows up like the yellow yard to gain line.

Not my favorite method but it beats the brakes off tv timeouts. Eliminating tv timeouts would certainly change how games are played, coached, and managed imo. Up tempo offenses could really really wear down a defense. Rhythms could be established and it would take a coach giving up a timeout to slow the momentum back down.
 

Eight

Member
I sat in the stands last game, and mentally took account of where the time goes that cause college football games to run 4 hours with the first half quarters going an hour each. Here's what I saw.

TV timeouts. These occur after every punt or exchange of possession. The fat guy in the red shirt comes out with a giant digital clock that says 2 minutes, 30 seconds on it. Lets assume 6 possession changes per quarter, that would be 15 minutes.

After a score. Let's assume 2 per quarter. That's 5 minutes.

Timeouts. Let's say 3 per quarter (both teams). That would be 7.5 minutes.

Injury. Let's say 1. That would be 2.5 minutes. Probably goes longer

Official reviews. Let's say 2. That would be 5 minutes, but probably go longer since the refs can't simply look up at the jumbotron.

Quarter change. That's 5 minutes.

That"s 40 minutes. That leaves 20 minutes of actual play and between downs when the clock is not running.

In most cases, TV doesn't breakaway for team timeouts, injuries (unless they are prolonged) or official reviews.

This doesn't include time spent in advertising during the halftime, which runs about 25 minutes.

By the time the 4th quarter rolls around the fat guy in the red shirt is flailing his arms around trying to get the game to move on and does not take the breaks after each change in possession. This is because of poor planning and the possibility of running into the next scheduled game.

The simple solution would be to outlaw TV timeouts and force them to work within the existing "other" timeouts. That would cut at least 30 minutes out of each game.

Not difficult math, you certainly wouldn't run a manufacturing plant this way.....it could be done.

you willing to accept tcu football without that television money?
 
All games have designated breaks. It could be 3 or 4 per quarter. Once they hit the designated number they aren’t allowed anymore than that. Occasionally, they may have a floater, but very seldom does that happen. They are allowed a break between quarters. That’s all they are allowed. They can take those breaks early in a quarter and get them out of they way, or spread them out over the quarter.

The digital clock that shows the time left in the timeout has actually helped shorten the game. The teams now know exactly when their team has to get back on the field. Prior to that clock, teams were notorious for delaying getting back on the field.

The on-field officials don’t like 4 hour games any more than you do.
 

Pharm Frog

Full Member
All games have designated breaks. It could be 3 or 4 per quarter. Once they hit the designated number they aren’t allowed anymore than that. Occasionally, they may have a floater, but very seldom does that happen. They are allowed a break between quarters. That’s all they are allowed. They can take those breaks early in a quarter and get them out of they way, or spread them out over the quarter.

The digital clock that shows the time left in the timeout has actually helped shorten the game. The teams now know exactly when their team has to get back on the field. Prior to that clock, teams were notorious for delaying getting back on the field.

The on-field officials don’t like 4 hour games any more than you do.

CGP doesn’t believe in using those TV timeouts to coach his D. He lets them hang out on the field and leave that coaching thing to the opponents.
 

Portland Frog

Full Member
How does the NFL handle this? Isn't it policy games can't run more than 3 hours in length (in regulation)? Granted their half-time is only 10 minutes but I don't think this is the major factor.
 
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Frog45

Ticket Exchange Pass
How does the NFL handle this? Isn't it policy games can't run more than 3 hours in length (in regulation)? Granted their half-time is only 10 minutes but I don't think this is the major factor.

It helps that in the NFL the clock never stops on a first down. I would love to see the NCAA adopt that as well, and add a two-minute warning instead.
 

Frog-in-law1995

Active Member
I sat in the stands last game, and mentally took account of where the time goes that cause college football games to run 4 hours with the first half quarters going an hour each. Here's what I saw.

TV timeouts. These occur after every punt or exchange of possession. The fat guy in the red shirt comes out with a giant digital clock that says 2 minutes, 30 seconds on it. Lets assume 6 possession changes per quarter, that would be 15 minutes.

After a score. Let's assume 2 per quarter. That's 5 minutes.

Timeouts. Let's say 3 per quarter (both teams). That would be 7.5 minutes.

Injury. Let's say 1. That would be 2.5 minutes. Probably goes longer

Official reviews. Let's say 2. That would be 5 minutes, but probably go longer since the refs can't simply look up at the jumbotron.

Quarter change. That's 5 minutes.

That"s 40 minutes. That leaves 20 minutes of actual play and between downs when the clock is not running.

In most cases, TV doesn't breakaway for team timeouts, injuries (unless they are prolonged) or official reviews.

This doesn't include time spent in advertising during the halftime, which runs about 25 minutes.

By the time the 4th quarter rolls around the fat guy in the red shirt is flailing his arms around trying to get the game to move on and does not take the breaks after each change in possession. This is because of poor planning and the possibility of running into the next scheduled game.

The simple solution would be to outlaw TV timeouts and force them to work within the existing "other" timeouts. That would cut at least 30 minutes out of each game.

Not difficult math, you certainly wouldn't run a manufacturing plant this way.....it could be done.

You perceive college football to average 12 commercial and 3 non-commercial breaks per quarter?
 

HToady

Full Member
All games have designated breaks. It could be 3 or 4 per quarter. Once they hit the designated number they aren’t allowed anymore than that. Occasionally, they may have a floater, but very seldom does that happen. They are allowed a break between quarters. That’s all they are allowed. They can take those breaks early in a quarter and get them out of they way, or spread them out over the quarter.

The digital clock that shows the time left in the timeout has actually helped shorten the game. The teams now know exactly when their team has to get back on the field. Prior to that clock, teams were notorious for delaying getting back on the field.

The on-field officials don’t like 4 hour games any more than you do.
I'm glad you interacted here. As referees. what are your directions pertaining to TV timeouts? Is it 3 or 4 or 5?
When a team tries to take more that three timeouts they are flagged for delay of game or if an injury occurs in the last 2 minutes they get a 10 second runoff or have to give up a timeout. These rules enforced by the refs, control the flow of the game.
What if the TV station doesn't have the time slot limitation, and tries to add timeouts, do you have the authority to tell them no, take away a time out?
What if a team just recovers a fumble, and TV man steps out, and the coach says "NO. we have momentum and we want to go!". Can he do that?
 

HToady

Full Member
They are out of control. They are going to run off the young fans for sure. They need to do what the do in soccer. Shrink the screen and put a banner around the picture.

To the best of my recollection only football and basketball stop the game so that a giant bird can sell car insurance. All others work within the game timeouts allowed......Yet they STILL decide to televise these sports as well.

Could you imagine if TV demanded that all the cars pulled over every 10 minutes in NASCAR or F1 or blow a horn and all the golfers have to stop for 2:30 in a PGA event?
 

Eight

Member
To the best of my recollection only football and basketball stop the game so that a giant bird can sell car insurance. All others work within the game timeouts allowed......Yet they STILL decide to televise these sports as well.

Could you imagine if TV demanded that all the cars pulled over every 10 minutes in NASCAR or F1 or blow a horn and all the golfers have to stop for 2:30 in a PGA event?

baseball has scheduled breaks where the teams switch positions from the field to the dug out and i am fairly sure the break between is actually longer than it takes to change positions specifically for commercials.

baseball on fox can be brutal for that reason.

i said it before and i will say it again. the sports are no longer for the fans in the stadium, but the people watching via tv, streaming etc.....

the networks pay a great deal of money for this rights and hence the commercials.

espn and fox don't want to scroll something across the bottom because they have their endless stream of information rolling across the bottom.

again, this isn't about the fans and when sports took that first check from the networks they sold their souls
 
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