Chip Kelly might be out of a head coaching gig, but one of his tactics is on the table for discussion at the owners meetings next week. The league is considering instituting a ‘Chip Kelly rule,’ which would penalize teams from committing intentional penalties, designed to manipulate the game clock, and dissuade the opposing team from scoring.
Kelly exploited this loophole in the 49ers’ Week 9 loss to the Saints last season. With four seconds left in the first half and the ball on San Francisco’s 13, the Saints ran a pass play in hopes of scoring a touchdown before halftime. Kelly countered by instructing the 49ers’ defensive backs to hold the Saints receivers at the line, taking the five yard penalty while allowing the clock to run out. The ball was then placed at the 49ers’ 8-yard line, but with no time remaining on the clock, New Orleans elected to kick a field goal.
Kelly is not the first to utilize this tactic, with John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens also doing it last season and in previous years. According to Pro Football Talk, the league will vote on whether to make it unsportsmanlike conduct to commit multiple fouls on the same down in a manner designed to manipulate the game clock. Doing so would result in a 15-yard penalty, with the clock being reset to where it was before the play began.