[Alberta's Child]

I've never been able to get a rational explanation from anyone on this question: Why does the clock run in football when the whistle blows and the ball is dead?

[discostu]

Because it adds a layer of strategy. Football is the only sport where a team can not only control the pace of the game but also the length. Teams can hurry up to get more plays in less time, and they can slow it down to give the other team fewer plays. We’ve seen entire schools of football thought built around the implications of a running clock. The running clock makes the game more complex, more interesting, and gives teams more paths to victory. If the NFL didn’t have a running clock Belichick’s “make Peyton sit on the bench” strategy can’t exist. If the NFL didn’t have a running clock Chip Kelly’s blur offense can’t exist.

[Elsie]

Back atcha: Why not?