[soldarnal]

The game clock is one of the more common rules that tends to warp gameplay in this way, with teams that are ahead trying to avoid play and run out the clock rather than continue to engage in the contest. The other team, meanwhile, resorts to increasingly desperate tactics like pulling the goalie, intentionally committing fouls, or laterals and trying for the onside kick.

Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elam_Ending

[kodt]

The end of American Football games is so frustrating because of this, with a team just constantly taking a knee to run out the clock. It makes the last 2 minutes of the game useless.

Constant fouls in Basketball hoping the opposing team will miss a free throw is another frustrating tactic that drags the last 2 minutes on forever, in what is usually a forgone conclusion anyway.

[freetime2]

I find clock management to be an interesting aspect of the game in American Football, because literally every second counts. It's one of the things that separates elite players and coaches from everyone else. Tom Brady, for example, was renowned for his ability to move the ball down the field and score in the last two minutes of a game.

Sure sometimes it means the game is effectively over 2 minutes early if the leading team gets possession and the trailing team has no timeouts remaining. But in that case it just has the effect of shifting the decisive moment a little bit earlier (if it's a close game). And the rare games that end with 0 seconds on the clock on a game winning touchdown or field goal are truly memorable.

[poulsbohemian]

>And the rare games that end with 0 seconds on the clock on a game winning touchdown or field goal are truly memorable.

Doesn't feel rare anymore, and I'd argue it's a manufactured phenomenon. Weather plays almost no role in games any longer, with the majority of stadiums indoors and played on perfectly consistent synthetic grass. The game has tilted notably in favor of the offense, with roughing the passer, pass interference, spearing, and other calls more strongly enforced or heightened in the same of player safety. To be clear I'm not arguing against player safety, but it has become almost impossible to sack a quarterback without drawing a penalty. Given these rules, the strategy becomes to keep the score close and use the clock to win the game in the last two minutes. Sure, it leads to the excitement of the last second win / loss, but when that becomes an almost pre-ordained scenario (barring the case of an overwhelming disparity in skills of the two teams), then it really isn't exciting anymore.

[robervin]

I don't believe the average sacks per game has changed much. Haven't crunched all the numbers but this has sacks back to the 2003 season [0]. I generally agree though, the NFL wants a consistent and exciting product; for a while now that seems to mean high scoring, offensive games.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/sacks-per-game?date=20...

[shusaku]

On the contrary, the clock management makes American football games more exciting, because you know if your team can just get one first down you will win. The tension heightens because you see the finish line.

But it does lead to unsatisfying situations where a person layer intentionally goes down instead of scoring because he doesn’t want to give the ball back to the other team.

I agree with your basketball complaint. The worst is that a team up 3 also has incentive to foul the losing team because they can only score 2 at the line.

[freetime2]

> But it does lead to unsatisfying situations where a person layer intentionally goes down instead of scoring because he doesn’t want to give the ball back to the other team.

I even like this part because it shows situational awareness, and the willingness of a player to put team goals ahead of their own stats. But I could see how it would be disappointing for fantasy football players, for example.

[kodt]

I don't think anyone rooting for the losing team in that situation likes it though. They want them to go for a play and hope for the miracle turnover.

[freetime2]

Having been in the situation of rooting for the losing team many times, it's fine with me. Fans understand how the clock works (and commentators also keep people informed) - and that if their team doesn't get a stop on the next play, the game is effectively over. And the rules are the rules - sometimes they work out in your favor, sometimes they work against you. As long as they are applied fairly, I'm happy.

[poulsbohemian]

That's true for the team that's leading, but the other side of this is that if the team that's behind has the ball, they have the perverse incentive to draw a pass interference call even more than make a clean play, due to PI rules being so soft and in favor of the offense. Maybe not as much of a foregone conclusion as a kneel-down, but definitely the past few seasons it has begun to feel like the offense has a notable advantage.

[hgsgm]

You are allowed to go to the kitchen after 58minutes.

[defrost]

Although sometimes it's wise come back 50 minutes later for the very last minutes of a tight Grand Final.

https://youtu.be/_qLF1qFn6u8?t=6477

( WTF is AFL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_SqfNNfhmM )

[stevage]

Wow that's a pretty heroic final mark!