MORGANTOWN - If Bill Stewart is nothing else he is an old-school traditionalist when it comes to the game of football.

Oh sure, he's not only embraced the spread offense, but in his first year as West Virginia's coach is trying to make it even more varied and sophisticated. He also has no problem with a rather unusual defensive scheme left over from the previous coaching regime.

But truth be told, those are styles more than substance. Blocking, tackling, running, throwing and catching are still the same.

So how did West Virginia's coach react when he discovered that one of the oldest and most fundamental of all football rules - stopping the clock when a runner goes out of bounds - had been changed by the NCAA?

"Jeez, I mean, that's football,'' Stewart said. "Why mess with that?''

The out-of-bounds rule is certainly the most significant of all of the rules changes adopted for the 2008 season by the NCAA. There are plenty of others, but most involve nuances that many casual fans seldom notice or are simply minor in scope.

Changing the out-of-bounds rule, though, is fundamental. The rule will be abandoned for the last two minutes of each half (then the clock will stop and remain stopped until the next play), but for the other 56 minutes of each game the clock will stop when a runner goes out of bounds only long enough for the ball to be spotted and the clock will run again.

Naturally, Stewart understands the idea behind the rule change. For several years the NCAA has searched for ways to shrink the growing time slot in which games are played. Once at an average of a little less than three hours, games now last on average more than three hours and in some cases 31/2 or more.

Television is the obvious culprit because, as rights fees have increased and become the financial backbone of the sport, the demand for commercial breaks is ever increasing. Everyone understands that and accepts it to a point, but where is the line drawn?

MORGANTOWN - If Bill Stewart is nothing else he is an old-school traditionalist when it comes to the game of football.

Oh sure, he's not only embraced the spread offense, but in his first year as West Virginia's coach is trying to make it even more varied and sophisticated. He also has no problem with a rather unusual defensive scheme left over from the previous coaching regime.

But truth be told, those are styles more than substance. Blocking, tackling, running, throwing and catching are still the same.

So how did West Virginia's coach react when he discovered that one of the oldest and most fundamental of all football rules - stopping the clock when a runner goes out of bounds - had been changed by the NCAA?

"Jeez, I mean, that's football,'' Stewart said. "Why mess with that?''

The out-of-bounds rule is certainly the most significant of all of the rules changes adopted for the 2008 season by the NCAA. There are plenty of others, but most involve nuances that many casual fans seldom notice or are simply minor in scope.

Changing the out-of-bounds rule, though, is fundamental. The rule will be abandoned for the last two minutes of each half (then the clock will stop and remain stopped until the next play), but for the other 56 minutes of each game the clock will stop when a runner goes out of bounds only long enough for the ball to be spotted and the clock will run again.

Naturally, Stewart understands the idea behind the rule change. For several years the NCAA has searched for ways to shrink the growing time slot in which games are played. Once at an average of a little less than three hours, games now last on average more than three hours and in some cases 31/2 or more.

Television is the obvious culprit because, as rights fees have increased and become the financial backbone of the sport, the demand for commercial breaks is ever increasing. Everyone understands that and accepts it to a point, but where is the line drawn?

"Just wait and see. Television is going to demand another timeout [if games are shortened by the new rules],'' Stewart said. "At some point TV has to change. Why is it we're the ones changing the game? The out-of-bounds rule is a perfect example.''

The most intriguing question about the out-of-bounds rule is how coaches will react to what is sure to be a slightly shorter game. Two years ago the NCAA adopted and then quickly reversed rules designed to speed up the game, like starting the clock after a change of possession (rather than on the snap) and, on kickoffs, when the ball was kicked and not when it was caught. Those rules were done away with in great part because coaches complained about a minor reduction in the number of plays they could run in each game.

The out-of-bounds rule is likely to create the same level of reduction in plays, if not more.

Aside from the out-of-bounds rule, the other most significant change - at least from the perspective of the flow of the game - is the adoption of the NFL's 40-second play clock, as opposed to the old 25-second clock. As is the case on the professional level, the 40-second clock will start as soon as a play ends, rather than the 25-second clock starting when an official signals the ball ready for the ensuing play.

There are exceptions, of course. The 25-second clock will still be used if play is stopped for a penalty, a timeout, an injury, a replay review or a measurement, as well as following a change of possession or to start a quarter.

For any team that runs a no-huddle offense, as does West Virginia, the 40-second clock is a bonus. While it will take some adjustment - and virtually every team in the country began testing it during spring practices - the rule eliminates an official's discretion as to when to start the clock. Many no-huddle offensive coaches have complained in recent years that officiating crews from different conferences - and sometimes within the same conference - took too long to mark the ball ready for play, allowing defenses time to substitute more freely. Conversely, many coaches who run more traditional styles complained the ball was being marked ready for play too quickly.

Stewart is keeping an open mind about the 40-second clock, pointing out that taking the human element out of when the play clock starts might be a matter for debate. He's not worried, though, about having too little time between plays.

"When I was calling plays in [the Canadian Football League] it was 20 seconds,'' Stewart said. "We can handle that.''

To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734.