Matter of last-second timeout is game for NCAA review

01.10.2007 03:00 Sport and Travel - Source: USA Today

Florida's Urban Meyer stood next to an official near the sideline and called time a split second before the snap on the final play against Auburn's Wes Byrum, who thought he had kicked the game-winning 43-yard field goal. The kick was ruled to have come after time was called, forcing Byrum to try again.

He nailed the second attempt for a 20-17 upset of the then-third-ranked Gators.

"Do I think it's fair?" Meyer was asked Sunday on a teleconference. "Sure, it's part of the game."

Meyer's move followed NFL incidents in which Denver's Mike Shanahan called time against Oakland, and the Raiders' Lane Kiffin then used the same tactic against Cleveland. In both instances kickers who successfully made their original attempts missed the second efforts and their teams lost. As Dan Dierdorf said Sunday on CBS, the move "is in vogue now."

College head coaches have been allowed to call for a timeout since 2004. The last-second timeout issue will be included on the annual survey sent to coaches in November by the rules committee. That survey is used to help determine whether rules should be changed.

"By the letter of the rule, (a coach) has the right to do that. It's a psychological ploy," said Michael Clark, head coach at Division III Bridgewater (Va.) and chair of the committee. "I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere down the line somebody says, 'Look, in the spirit of the rule, is this really what we should be doing?' That's material for discussion for sure."

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville rushed the Florida field in celebration after Byrum's first kick, only to have to retreat to the sideline and sweat out the second attempt. Though he appeared annoyed after the game, he said Sunday he had no problem with Meyer's move.

"That's football, and you've got to use it in terms of getting in the head of a kicker," said Tuberville, who just completed a stint on the rules committee. "That was pretty close; I don't know if I would have waited that long to make that call.

"But that's good coaching, especially with a true freshman on the road. I thought it was pretty heads-up … at least after we won."

Tuberville said there is a risk to forcing a kicker to make two attempts beyond the reality that the kicker might miss the first attempt: "You give them a practice shot; you let him get his leg through the ball."

Colorado faced an identical situation to Auburn in the Buffaloes' 27-24 upset of then-No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday. Sooners coach Bob Stoops chose not to call time before Kevin Eberhart booted the winning 45-yard field goal on the final play.

"I'm not sure how I would handle that situation, but I thought Oklahoma would call time," CU coach Dan Hawkins said Sunday. "I don't think its poor sportsmanship, but it does seem to be a little bit beyond strategy. It's definitely intrusive, but you have to play the game as it comes."

Basketball has a comparable timeout scenario with foul shooters. But opponents are not allowed to call for time once the official has handed the ball to the shooter.

"That might be something for us to look at," Hawkins said. "Maybe it could be prohibited once the snapper gets his hands on the ball."

The NCAA rules committee also will huddle with the rules committee of the American Football Coaches Association at its annual convention in January.

"It's a good situation in that we can talk and discuss the issue with them instead of simply reading the response to a survey," said John Adams, rules committee secretary-editor. "Nothing is binding, but (the coaches' committee) has clout, and their input is important."

Contributing: Thomas O'Toole, Jack Carey, Kelly Whiteside.

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