Instant replay has grabbed most of this year's attention as far as college football rule changes, but there are a couple of new wrinkles that could make an even more major impact on games in the closing seconds.

One of the new rules concerns starting the clock on changes of possession. In the past, when the defense held the offense on fourth down or forced a punt, or came up with a turnover, the clock did not start until the snap of the ball following the change of possession.

The year, the clock will start when the referee indicates the ball is ready for play with a whistle and a chopped fist. In addition, the clock will now start on kickoffs and other free kicks when the kicker's foot touches the ball.

In the past, the clock started when it was touched by a receiver. Both rules were put into play to speed up the game, but both could affect end-game strategy in close contests. Conceivably, a game could end on an unreturned kickoff. If a team scores to take the lead with only a couple of seconds left, teams in the past at least had the opportunity to return the ensuing kickoff or down the ball immediately and have one play from scrimmage.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com