Time?
 

What do you guys do to measure the length of your games? Do you use a running clock, the on board timer, a set number of plays, or some other method?

Thanks,
Erick

Since my games are usually interrupted several times and take a few days to complete, I use 20 plays per quarter, not including kick offs. It makes it easier to keep track of them.

for fast games each team gets a full set of downs to do as much damage as possible (if there is a tie after that then they each get one more down on offence, and if there is still a tie it is a tie... i needed to explain that to my McNabb figure very thoroughly! HA)

for longer games I usually have a running clock for 15 min quarters and only time outs stop the clock. until the last few mins when you can work the sidelines to stop the clock

Running clock. 60-minute quarters. Try and run 85-100 plays per game.

Normal stoppages for like incompletions, etc., happen in the final 5 minutes of each half, and each team has 3 time outs. Only other stoppages are for changes in possession.

Ed wnnrcgr shkthbx: $br#

Thanks for the replies so far. My cousin and I used to play 15 play quarters in our league as kids. We didn't pass and games usually took nearly 4 hours. I'd like to start playing solitaire but finding 4 hours in a day is nearly impossible.

@Al- I spent most of the morning reading about your solitaire league...very inspirational and fantastic post game wrap ups.

Thanks, Eric. I tried to write it as if you were reading the Monday Sports section. Wow, you spent most of the morning reading it. I guess I'll have to type faster next time so it won't take as long to read... ;) :dohdh: :D

Al- I got up at 10:00, made breakfast and coffee, so make your own conclusions ;)

Timing
 

This spring in my college league I will run 15 play quarters. Time Outs will add 1 play to the quarter, so a quarter could be 21 plays$cch$

i just do 10 plays per quarter, each team has available 2 timeout plays for the end of each half. game takes about 3 hrs in no hurry.

I play 1 minute halves. I use a stop watch and the game clock only runs when the board is on. This way I can walk away from the game and come back the next day if I need to and the time is exact. Usually have game scores in the teens and twenties, so it works pretty good.

1 minute halves?
 

Goldie, is that a typo or sarcasm? I run my board speed a little slower than most people so I'd only get 3-4 plays in per half.

Thanks to everyone who's responded. I'm starting to flesh out my rules and you suggestions are helping.

In my Playtest League games last year, I used Brian McAtee's system of possession-sets: one each per team, four downs each, two complete sets comprising one quarter. I was able to reduce game-time to about 1.15 on average and got decent scores even following orthodox scoring rules for some games.

Perhaps you can take a look on mid ohio league rules.

They use a "box" system, I explain :

Let's say you do 15 "boxes" by quarter. One box is 1 attempt. If you throw a pass and completed it, it costs 2 boxes. If you make a 1st down, it costs 2 boxes.

ANy other case (pass incomplete, not enough yardage gain) costs 1 box. Basically, a completed play (1st down or pass) is 2 boxes, other cases 1 box.

It seems to allow some nice strategic clock playing.

i use 4 quarters of 10 plays. Using my own playing chart for offense & defense (PAT is the only thing that doesn't count as a play).

I can make a game in about 50-75 minutes and maybe 90 minutes with overtime


Take it easy

Benster from north of the border

Kyzbp, no that was not a typo or sarcasm. Thats how I play my solitaire games. I have my board set on the fastest speed I can without making the guys fall over. I am in the process of building 2x4 board so I am still using a Miggle Super Bowl board. But even still, my clock only runs if the board is turned on. And it never runs on extra points or the first part of a kick-off or punt. If my games were much longer, my scores would be very high.