Im new here and feel like i should read, and not really post however, remembering this game from the late 60's, and 70's, it was ok to play but the lack of control made it somewhat unrealistic. Like today's video sports games where as some are arcade oriented, and some are sim oriented, i guess it depends on what you prefer. I recently started playing this game again, this time using most of the rules from the MPFL system. I have made minor modifications, but most of the system is Mr. Burgesses. I can see both sides of the opinions here however, even though in real life coaches can't stop the play and make adjustments, you never see players running in the opposite direction of where the ball is, nor do they decide to just run out of bounds 40 yds from where the play is. This game deals with figures, and bases, and neither one of these have a thinking apparatus. So i see the timed stoppages as a nice way to interject the thought process of this game. Reaction is a huge part of football, and without stopping the game at certain points, its kind of hard to achieve some sort of realism. That being said i believe it still comes down to whatever style of play makes you happy, and just enjoy the game.
