Bayern Trupp » "Its not that difficult.

Not so fast, college football offences. A proposed change by the NCAA rules committee would prohibit offences from snapping the ball until at least 10 seconds had run off the 40-second play clock, slowing down the up-tempo, no-huddle attacks that have been making defences dizzy. The rule allows defences time to make a substitution without the offence changing players -- as is currently required -- and with no fear the ball will be snapped before 29 seconds are left on the play clock. An exception will be made for the final two minutes of each half, when the offence can snap the ball as quickly as it wants. "This rules change is being made to enhance student-athlete safety by guaranteeing a small window for both teams to substitute," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, chair of the football rules committee, said in a statement Wednesday. "As the average number of plays per game has increased, this issue has been discussed with greater frequency by the committee in recent years and we felt like it was time to act in the interests of protecting our student-athletes." The committee also proposed a change to the targeting rule that would eliminate the 15-yard penalty when instant replay officials overturn an ejection. Last year, when a targeting penalty was called, the 15-yard penalty stood even if the replay official determined the player should be allowed to stay in the game. Both proposals need approval from the playing rules oversight panel, which is schedule to consider them on March 6. The proposal to slow down offences will have a hard time passing if the many coaches who run up-tempo these days have anything to say about it. "Its ridiculous," said Arizonas Rich Rodriguez, who has been at the forefront of the fast football trend. "For me it goes back to the fundamental rules of football. The offence knows where they are going and when they are going to snap the ball. Thats their advantage. The defence is allowed to move all 11 guys before the ball is snapped. Thats their advantage. "Whats next? You can only have three downs? If you play that extra down you have more chance of injury." Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze said he found about the proposal when he got a phone call from Auburns Gus Malzahn, a fellow advocate of up-tempo offence. "I said, Yall are kidding me. Thats not true," Freeze told Malzahn. This is a non-rules change year for the NCAA, but exceptions can be made for rules that affect player safety. There was much discussion about the pace of the game last season, with some coaches -- most notably Alabamas Nick Saban and Arkansas Bret Bielema -- questioning whether something needed to be done to slow down offences. Safety concerns were cited because of the increased number of plays. The fastest-moving teams -- such as Arizona and Ole Miss -- average more than 80 plays per game. Texas Tech led the country with 90.3 plays per game last season. Arkansas ran 64.7 plays per game, 121 out of 125 FBS teams. Alabama was at 65.9, 116th in the country. Freeze said he was skeptical of the health risks presented by up-tempo offence because hes never seen any data to support the claim. "I would think they would have some type of study that proves that," he said. Rodriguez has been pushing the pace with his teams for more than two decades and doesnt buy safety concerns. "If that was the case wouldnt every team that went fast in practice have more injuries?" he said. The committee said "10 seconds provides sufficient time for defensive player substitutions without inhibiting the ability of an offence to play at a fast pace. Research indicated that teams with fast-paced, no-huddle offences rarely snap the ball with 30 seconds or more on the play clock." Freeze and Rodriguez both said their offences rarely get plays off within 10 seconds of the ball being spotted. "If they say its not occurring anyway, why put in a rule?" Freeze said. "I just dont really understand what we gain from this rule other than a chance to create more chaos." Its not just the up-tempo coaches who voiced their disapproval with the proposal. "I just spent two days at Big Ten meetings and it wasnt even brought up," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. "It doesnt make sense to me." The Scarlet Knights ranked 84th in the country in plays per game (71). Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville, a former defensive co-ordinator whose team averaged 78 plays per game (28th in the nation), said the proposal was never discussed during last months American Football Coaches of Association convention. "This came out of left field," he said. "Its wrong." Adam Jones Jersey . 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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Derek Norris knack for big swings in big moments bailed out the Oakland Athletics again. Norris hit a three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning, and the As rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Tuesday night to regain the AL West lead. Five of the catchers 11 career home runs have given Oakland the lead. "He does his best work late in games with runners in scoring position," As manager Bob Melvin said. "Hes gotten big hits for us since he got here last year. If youre going to get a few hits in certain situations, obviously the bigger situations are the type of things that get the respect of your teammates and give us confidence when he comes up there in big situations he can get it done." Norris, who entered the game with a .195 batting average backing up the injured John Jaso, sent the 2-2 changeup from James Russell (1-2) over the left-centre field wall for his fourth home run this season. Josh Donaldson and Chris Young also homered to put the As a half-game ahead of Texas, which lost 9-2 at Seattle. Lefty Stephen Vogt wouldve started at catcher for the As against Scott Feldman, but the Cubs traded the right-hander in the morning. When Norris showed up at the ballpark, he learned lefty Chris Rusin had been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Feldmans place. "I figured it was probably my turn," Norris said, grinning. Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fourth inning and Welington Castillo drove in three runs for Chicago, which twice blew a two-run lead. The Cubs are 35-46 at their seasons midpoint after another win evaporated because the bullpen couldnt hold a lead. "Just didnt make a good pitch when I needed to and paid for it," Russell said. Dan Otero (1-0) tossed one scoreless inning for his first career win, and Grant Balfour finished it for his 20th straight save this season and 38th overall. Oakland can once again thank its on-again, off-again catcher for a comeback. Besides his big home run, Norris threw out Luis Valbuena for a double play in the ninth when Balfour struck out Starlin Castro. After tossing his first complete game to beat Homer Bailey and the Cincinnati Reds his last time out, As starter A.J. Griffin gave up 10 hits and tied his career high with seven earned runs in 5 2-3 innings. Bailey threw his second career no-hitter Tuesday night to lead the Reds past the Sann Francisco Giants, 3-0.dddddddddddd "Im just fortunate enough that I have a team that scores a ton of runs," Griffin said. Rusin allowed six hits, struck out two and walked none in 3 1-3 innings for a no-decision in his first major league start this season. He was pitching on three days rest, so Cubs manager Dale Sveum pulled Rusin after 61 pitches. The As roughed up Rusin at the outset. Donaldson hit his 14th home run in the first, and Young followed with his eighth longball of the season in the second to give Oakland a 3-0 lead. The As missed a chance to pile on -- and perhaps run Rusin out of the game even earlier -- when Jed Lowrie struck out with the bases loaded to end the second. While Rusin regrouped in his short stint, so did Chicagos offence. Soriano started the scoring burst when he sent the tying homer over the wall in centre for his 10th home run. The Cubs sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, with Darwin Barney adding a sacrifice fly and Castillo hitting an RBI single to stretch Chicagos lead to 5-3. The Cubs collapsed on defence in the bottom half behind Carlos Villanueva, who allowed two unearned runs in 3 1-3 innings of relief. Running back and to his right on Adam Rosales short fly, shortstop Castro collided with Soriano in left field and the ball dropped. Coco Crisp followed with a tying, two-run single. Castillos two-run double over the head of Young in centre put the Cubs back ahead, 7-5, and chased Griffin. But as has been the case so often this season, Chicago couldnt protect its lead. "Just gotta get the ball down. Its that simple," Russell said. "Its not that difficult. Its just that one thing. Get the ball down and that wont happen." NOTES: Melvin said RHP Jarrod Parker felt a slight discomfort and tightness in his right hamstring during a bullpen session. Melvin said a decision will be made Wednesday on whether Parker, who left with the injury in the fourth inning of Saturdays loss against St. Louis, will make his next scheduled start Thursday against the Cubs. ... The Cubs had never played a regular-season game at the Oakland Coliseum. The franchise has now played in every current major league city and every active ballpark except the new Yankee Stadium. ... Bartolo Colon (11-2, 2.79 ERA) looks to win his ninth straight start when the As face Matt Garza (3-1, 3.82 ERA) and the Cubs on Wednesday. ' ' '