Clock Management Again

[DocBBall35]

Arlie, I'd really like to see some form of manual or something that would briefly explain either how to control the clock better or better explain how the clock works. I'm having serious difficulty trying to control the clock with less than a couple of minutes to go whether I'm winning or losing.

[Old Boiler]

I entirely agree. In my most recent sim, i completed a long pass for a first down [I]and[/I] called timeout as soon as the PBP announced the result, yet thirty seconds ran off the clock; the first down alone should have prevented that, TO or no? At the end of the game, the opposing QB took a knee with 0:22, i called timout [I]as the play was being run[/I], and still time ran out. This isn't a showstopper for me, but these close games would be far more thrilling if the clock ran realistically. :o

[jbergey_2005]

Great comments from both of you, I am in agreement. It does tend to slow the clock down eventaully but its not doing what it is suppose to. An example would be, 1st and 10, computer runs for 3 yards, u call a time out, 30 seconds run off the clock, 2nd down run, u call a run, the clock will only run around 10-15 seconds, which is still to high. The major problem comes from not being able to call a timeout after a play to stop the clock. I am sure this can easily be fixed. I also tend to think that the clock doestn sop on change of possession. I threw an incomplete pass on 4th down with 2:03 left. They ran 3 straight runs and I had 3 To's left and called them after each play. I ended up getting the ball back with 16 seconds. I believe it went down as follows 1:31, 1:08, :47, :31. Dont ask me what the clock was doing, didnt make any sense to me.

[CapnPitt]

I'm with you guys on this one. I have no idea how the clock is run. Even if, out of necessity, the clock has to be unrealistically jerry-rigged into providing proper timing for the game, we need to know how the timing is kept. For example, this morning I was playing against Cal and I was trailing by one late. I got down the field, got inside the twenty, 2nd down with about 00:30 left after a run. Normally, the thing to do would be to run the clock down to 00:03 and kick the FG. If that isn't possible in terms of the game, which I doubt that it is, that's fine. However, what I needed to know was if I had enough time to run one more play and then call TO and then kick. As it was, I made my kick, Cal got a good return, made two decent plays and then missed a 61 yarder as time expired. Exciting game, but I wish it wouldn't have been THAT exciting. Despite that and a few other things. I think this is an excellent game, especially for a first edition, and I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm well pleased.

[Dirk9827]

Completely agree with your findings. Taking that last shot at the end zone is a risky proposition because often, an incredible amount of time can run off the clock (and prevent a subsequent field goal attempt). I understand that this may or may not be technically feasible, but it makes it incredibly difficult in tight games to coach with time and field position in mind. I am an advocate of *some* of the clock management decisions to be taken out of the coach's hands. College quarterbacks do some mighty smart things sometimes, and sometimes they make mistakes. I remember a couple of years ago a U of Washington quarterback who will go nameless, down by 5 points or so with a couple of seconds left in the game at the time of the snap, inexplicably ran the ball out of bounds instead of making one last desperation 50 yard heave down the field. What was he afraid of, an interception? Crimminy, I was yelling "Throw the ball!" and he didn't, game over. I don't know if he lost track of time or what, but it was incredibly unsatisfying. So, I advocate that the game not be totally controlled by the coach, since a coach cannot execute on the field.

[DocBBall35]

Just bumping this up till we get a response from Arlie or someone else official.

[CapnPitt]

I just wanted to ask something else about clock management. Namely, can you call a timeout before the AI punts? I call my plays, but I play on very fast mode. So I don't know if it's because I'm on very fast, or if you simply can't call time out before the punt.