Wild idea about how to skirt rules

Ok, this is sorta out of left field but a play way back in the Super bowl got me to thinking about ways you can use the rules to your advantage.

Do any of you remember a few years ago in college they decided to start the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker kicked it instead of when the receiving team touched it? They figured it would speed up games just that little bit.

Well, Wisconsin figured out how to use that in a late season important game. Don't remember the opponent but Wisconsin scored with about 40 seconds left to go ahead in the game.

So on the subsequesnt kickoff Wisconsin INTENTIONALLY ran offsides on kick coverage. The clock started as soon as their kicker kicked it. It ran until the receiving team downed it. They had to down it because the Wisconsin guys were in their jocks before the ball even got there.

So Wisconsin was penalized and had to re-kick from 5 yards back but the time was forever lost.
They did the same thing for 4 kicks in a row and pretty soon there was 5 seconds left and they squibbed it and won.

Ok, I told you that to tell you about this.

As New England had about 15-20 seconds left they threw a pass that went incomplete. It went incomplete because NY had 12 men on the field. So New England got 5 yards but they lost the 8 or 9 or 10 seconds that ran off the clock.

So, as a defense, could you put 12 guys on the field on purpose to stop a play knowing you'll only get penalized 5 yards? (I think this could be a 15 yarder in college.) IT would stop the play but run time off the clock.

You can't use it on the very last play because you can't finish a game on a defensive foul. But you could use it on the 2nd to the last play or the 3rd to the last just to run seconds off the clock.

It wouldn't even have to be too many men. You could jump offsides just enough so they don't blow the play dead but enough to totally ruin the play. Costs you 5 yards but they lose all the seconds.

I've been thinking about that ever since the Super Bowl and just got time to sit down and type it.
Sorry it's so long!

It would work only if the clock was running previos to you being offside other wise they would reset the clock to before the ball was snapped, also on the 12 men on the field a smart QB will go deep and take the play , so your playin with fire if the offense see's this in advance, becuase they know they will get another chance.

Well, in the Super Bowl Brady DID go deep. But it was easily defensed by 12 players. About 10 seconds ticked off. Go back and look at it. It was the second to last play of the game. After that play they HAD to throw a hail mary because that's all the time they had left.

Also, if you jump offsides and the play continues and it is incomplete but they take the 5 yards, they DO NOT put time back on the clock.

Really, there is almost no downside to a defensive player jumping offsides on a rushed last minute drive. Time ticks off and 5 yards means squat.

I'm not saying you do it all the time. But in my opinion it may have cost the Patriots the Super Bowl. So, again IMHO, it was a huge play.