Countdown continues: NCAA tables clock change proposal

A proposal to allow referees in NCAA college soccer to keep time on the field and end the practice of the public address announcer counting down the last 10 seconds has been tabled.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel was supposed to consider the proposal from the Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee on Wednesday but the committee “ultimately tabled” it, according to an NCAA spokesperson.

As a result, the status quo will remain in college soccer for the 2018 season.

College soccer in the U.S. is one of the few places in the world where the referees do not keep time on the field.

Instead, the clock is maintained like it is other sports by the scoreboard operator. Instead of counting up and having stoppage time added on by the referee at the end of each half, the clock counts down from 45 minutes in each half and is stopped for injuries and other delays.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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