Like the NFL Only Smaller
To paraphrase Lou Ann McGuinn played by Bernadette Peters in the 1986 movie Pink Cadillac
.oO0Oo. 18 Sep 06
A few days have passed since the rule changes and I have had time to relax and consider how the product on the field will be altered.
I figured the best way to evaluate the sub rule change was to actually perform my own simulation. Not some nerdy computer model, or a video game, but a real world simulation where all the flucutating variables that I have no idea how to program for can be taken into account.
Following AFL rules in effect last season there were unlimited special teams subtitutions and one player per quarter for the rest of the game. The coach was permitted on the field and no box markers were present.
Four 15 minute quarters were played with a 12 minute half time "rest" between the second and third quarter. Player resting heart rate and respiration were constantly monitored and charted. And the scoring, both overall and by play ratio, was recorded.
The simulation was indoors of course. On a scale field. The ambient temperature at 72 degrees. No percipitation was falling on the field of play. 24 players were assembled and 8 sent out to begin playing football under the new rules. Or more to the point "simulated" football.
Trying to heave the psuedo-football shaped hunk of felt with the quarterback's flexible arm was dismally frustrating, as well as every time you tried a kick, the best you could hope for was to blast your lineman in the ass. But in keeping with the new rule the players were rotated through each posession. The only exception being the QB. He had to take every offensive play.
After 60 minutes there was still no idication the rule changes made any difference. In fact most of the players designated as OS/WR and DS/DB players still simply twirled around like a crack addict in a house of mirrors.
Even the linemen played as though they had recieved no additional "rest" between posessions. The kinesiologist on site referenced the conditioning of the athletes as the major contributing factor in the results.
Several "games" were played under both sets of conditions in an attempt to discern any and all changes evident by the recent rule changes.
Initial results would seem to indicate there will not be a major difference in play. When the final results are tabulated and quantified I will be submitting them to the league headquarters as well as publishing the findings here.
I'd like to personally thank all the players for participating in this study (for free at that) and hope it may have given them some hope as well.
