50-60mph winds tonight for playoffs

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Cobra

I don't understand why teams make such a big deal over which goal they defend. They are going to defend both of them for half the game so it shouldn't matter much.

There are more downs at the end of a half than at the end of the 1st or 3rd quarters. It makes sense to most teams to have the wind at one's back and/or be looking at the scoreboard to end a half.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by mbyron

There are more downs at the end of a half than at the end of the 1st or 3rd quarters. It makes sense to most teams to have the wind at one's back and/or be looking at the scoreboard to end a half.

There are more downs only because a team is looking to conserve time. If they had the wind in the odd numbered quarter they could conserve time then.

[bkdow]

I cannot believe you are asking about which end to defend when there is a 50 mph wind blowing the length of the field. If you have the wind at your back you can successfully kick or throw the ball if the situation requires it at the end of the game or half. If you fall behind in the scoring and the wind is in your face, you can't do anything drastic at the end of the half or game to get big plays.

Besides, who calls a time out in the 1st and 3rd quarters to "conserve time"?

[Canned Heat]

Let me also add that it mattered little in defensing the other team's passing game and actually hindered the electing team when they were down and needed to pass late in the game. The team that chose wind also was pinched at their own endzone late from a 60+ yard punt that K downed at R's 1....forcing them to have to punt out of their own EZ for a 17 yarder. Is back fire one or two words...?

I'll stay out of the pi$$ing match you guys have got going about number of plays and what not, but in those conditions...there is clearly an advantage in going with the wind.

Worked a youth game last night in nearly the same conditions and had a split end get pushed forward by the wind for a false start. Field was terrible and almost nothing but dirt to the point that my ump had to literally hold the ball between his feet or hold it with his hands or the ball would blow away in a split second until the center got it in his hand...absolutely crazy out there.

[Texas Aggie]

One Sat. in the 1970s there was a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico that produced two 67-yard FGs (NCAA) and one 69-yarder (Abilene Christian, NAIA).

Several problems in this statement. First, there was no hurricane in the Gulf that day. Even if there was, Abilene is quite a long way from the Gulf and is rarely affected by hurricanes, except for some after-effect rain, but even that doesn't happen much. Second, there was no 67 yard field goal made by any NCAA kicker that day. Tony Franklin of Texas A&M made a 65 yarder -- a record at the time, and then later hit a 64 yarder. 2 60+ yarders are still NCAA records. It was a year later when Russel Erxleben of Texas and Steve Little of Arkansas both kicked 67 yarders 2 weeks apart. Finally, while the wind did aid the Abilene kicker, it was an estimated 16mph wind. Not unusual for ANY fall Saturday in West Texas.

Just FYI, North Texas got some after-effects earlier this year from a hurricane. Any high winds were due to hurricane related tornadoes and their high straight line wind cousins -- and they are very patchy and location specific. The tropical winds from the original storm have long since died down. We didn't get much wind at all where I am, but east Texas got hammered. If hurricane related winds COULD aid a kick, you can be sure they won't be playing the game! At least around here.

[grunewar]

Kickoff into 40-mph wind travels backward 12 yards - Prep Rally - High School - Yahoo! Sports

This completely messes up the kickers avg......

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bkdow

I cannot believe you are asking about which end to defend when there is a 50 mph wind blowing the length of the field. If you have the wind at your back you can successfully kick or throw the ball if the situation requires it at the end of the game or half. If you fall behind in the scoring and the wind is in your face, you can't do anything drastic at the end of the half or game to get big plays.

Besides, who calls a time out in the 1st and 3rd quarters to "conserve time"?

I saw a team burn 2 at the end of the first quarter to force a team to punt into the wind a few weeks ago. It ended up being a 12 yard punt and the other team scored a TD quickly.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by bkdow

I cannot believe you are asking about which end to defend when there is a 50 mph wind blowing the length of the field. If you have the wind at your back you can successfully kick or throw the ball if the situation requires it at the end of the game or half. If you fall behind in the scoring and the wind is in your face, you can't do anything drastic at the end of the half or game to get big plays.

Actually, in my game Tuesday night, the team that won scored on a 60ish yard pass against the wind with about 2 minutes remaining in the game. (Granted, it was a lucky "heave it up and hope for the best" pass and the defenders collided with each other and fell down, but still).

Besides, who calls a time out in the 1st and 3rd quarters to "conserve time"?

Same team tried to call a timeout at the very end of the 3rd quarter, so that they could punt with the wind. Unfortunately for them, the play didn't end until after time had expired, so they were unsuccessful in their attempt. I would consider that an attempt to "conserve time".