Debate over up-tempo offenses hits NFL where Chip Kelly's Eagles might have to apply brakes

The debate over up-tempo college football offenses has been an animated one this offseason in the SEC.

It started last fall when Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed concerns with the hurry-up approach and?had some questions on the topic?at SEC Media Days.?

Arkansas coach Bret?Bielema fueled the debate with his take at the SEC's spring meetings in June.

He then went on a a rant last week, which was in response to Auburn's Gus Malzahn saying he thought it was a "joke" when he heard someone said his hurry-up system leads to more injuries.

Now, the NFL is involved.

League insiders tell The Wall Street Journal the NFL has a pace to its games it intends to stick with.

Referees "aren't going to change just to accommodate someone's offense," Mike Pereira, a former NFL vice president of officiating who is now an analyst for Fox Sports told The Journal.

"We have to make sure teams understand that they don't control the tempo, our officials do," said NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. "We're going through our normal ball mechanics, we aren't going to rush (unless) it's in the two-minute drill."

Kelly declined to comment.?

The Journal points to a couple of reasons for the NFL wanting to slow down the pace

"It's easy to see why the NFL might want to tap the brakes on these rampaging offenses. The league has long cherished the somewhat languorous breaks between plays, which are also attractive to broadcasters. There's also a safety concern: the more plays get run, the more tired players become and the more their technique suffers--increasing the risks of injury."

A couple of other things working against Kelly:

Referees, according to the report, are required to change balls after an incomplete pass or when a play ends out of bounds.?

Also, the referee who spots the ball in the NFL must be set behind the deepest offensive back before the offense can snap the ball.

Lastly, if an offensive team substitutes a player, Blandino said, the defense will also be allowed to make its substitutions.?

For the entire report, click here.

Source: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/debate_over_up-tempo_offenses.html

PacSun apple store bestbuy bestbuy gamestop black friday deals Sephora