FIRST POST... "TAKE IT EASY ON ME" to quote LRB…..
First, this is now a strategic part of the game not only on defense. Flopping is also occurring on offense to stop the clock so a play can be called but it is usually used on defense.
Next, we need to mention that an injury timeout in the last 2-5 minutes of the half is worse at killing momentum and allowing a team free timeouts than it is during the rest of the game.
With that said here is my proposal:
- Each team gets (x) INJURY Timeouts. When a player goes down and the ref blows the whistle each coach is given a choice. Remove his player from the game for the rest of the half, take an injury timeout, take a team timeout or take a 15 year unsportsmanlike conduct that is charged against that player. Two of those and he is gone for game.
- After a team has exhausted their injury timeouts, the coach is given a choice. Remove his player from the game for the rest of the half, take a team timeout or take a 15 year unsportsmanlike conduct that is charged against that player. Two of those and he is gone for game.
- After a team has exhausted their injury and team timeouts. The player is removed from the game and a 15 year unsportsmanlike conduct is charged against the bench. Two of those and the coach is gone for game.
- If an injury occurs in the last two minutes of the first or second half and the team has used all of its injury timeouts, the coach is accessed an automatic 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct on the bench and the player is disqualified for the rest of the half.
It must be more than just (x) number of injury timeouts or disqualifying players because PWO(s) will be used to not use timeouts. If we are going to fix the Strategic injury rule(lack of), we must put some real strategy into the change not just a simple x number of injury timeouts.
Oh, yea and you only get (x) number of injury timeouts regardless of whether it is offense or defense. The exception is if the injury is a result of an unsportsmanlike conduct on the other team than you do not have to use your injury/team timeouts.
We can debate what (x) should be but I say 3-4 to make the decisions by the coach really strategic.
Just my suggested changes.