NFL speaks regarding Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense
 

NCAA officials have ball mechanics too.

Much ado about nothing.

I doubt Kelly has near the influence over NFL referees as he did over Pac-12 ones though. He was incessantly whining and pushing refs to let them speed up. He won't have that kind of pull this year.

Might make it worth turning on the Eagles game to watch him whine.

Is the article saying "the officials will work at a regular pace outside the 2 minute drill, and will not hurry up just because the Eagles want"?

The reaction seems overblown. How did the college officials deal with Oregon's offense? Did they treat it like a 2 minute drill the whole time? How is this any different than the NFL?

This is what all coaches want. They want us to move faster for their benefit. I am sure in college officials did the same. I did not see them hustle any more than other teams. And I did see a lot of Oregon games over the last few year and I saw nothing unusual then what the NFL guys would likely do.

Peace

Walter D. Robinson Phoenix replies:
 

I have seen this attempted in HS. Key is to maintain control of the game and not let the offense dictate when the ball is set for play.

Walter D. Robinson Phoenix

During last season, Oregon averaged 83 offensive plays per game.

In the Eagles first preseason game, the Eagles ran 89 offensive plays.

Much ado about nothing.

However, I do think this is the way to handle these hurry-ups offenses at all levels. Officials should dictate the pace of the game.

Officials dictate the pace at all levels. This was just a media concoction out of nothing that is not normally done. I have never worked a college game where we did not discuss what to do when a team wants to no huddle. And no one moves any faster in the middle of the game then they normally would. And college has rules in place where if the offense subs, the defense can sub too. But as usual the media is not aware of this and assumes that the college officials allowed something they clearly did not and jump to conclusions. The reactions from many media people was classically funny silly.

Peace

according to gamebook
Eagles 86 off. plays


Bills had 85

I don't think that should ever be the case deliberately.

This issue was discussed here several years ago. There is no reason the officials should make the ball ready for play slower than possible. However, nobody's going to notice if they do, as long as nobody wants to play the ball. You only notice it when somebody wants to play the ball and it's not ready. It's not a matter of one team's dictating the pace, it's only a matter of their making visible a possible defect in game administration. If that results in the officials' being conscious of the problem when an offense is trying to hurry up, so the officials make the ball ready for play faster than they do otherwise, so be it. The officials should always have been readying the ball at that pace, but it was inconsequential most of the game. If that looks like favoritism, that's just a misperception on observers' part.

Suppose a cashier wasn't giving correct change, but none of the customers complained until one finally did. If the cashier gives that person correct change, is that cheating? No, it was the cashier who was cheating previously, but nobody cared about it so it didn't matter.

Why not? Officials are the ones that get the ball, put the ball back in play and you cannot do a thing without us being in position. We do it deliberately all the time. And certainly no officiating crew is going to just move faster only because a team wants to move faster. You also have to go at somewhat the pace that the ball boys do their job and are in position to give us another ball when mechanics dictate.

Peace

Walter D. Robinson replies:
 

Working my first HS game in the 2013 season next week....yahoooooo!

Both teams are supposed to run a similar "fast" offense. Gonna be interesting!

Walter Duane Robinson
Walter D. Robinson Phoenix