Notre Dame released the official rules and format for the 86th annual Blue-Gold game. As the LaBar Practice Fields transform to house an intimate live viewing audience, an elite group of recruits and a NBCSN television production, let’s get the basics down as we begin to dig deeper into the spring finale.
GAME FORMAT
* First half will be two 12-minute quarters with normal clock stoppages.
* Second half will have two 15-minute quarters with running time.
* No play clock.
* Clock stoppages for injuries and timeouts. (Each team will get three time outs.)
Kelly estimated that last year the Irish ran roughly 30-plus plays while the second half averaged 19 plays per quarter. So look for something similar on Saturday.
TEAMS
The offensive players will wear blue while defense will wear white. That includes quarterbacks Everett Golson and Malik Zaire, who last year wore red with the rest of the quarterback depth chart.
(It will not include defensive tackles Jarron Jones and Sheldon Day, who hoped to get action in the “Irish Chocolate goal line package.” Kelly killed those dreams this morning.)
RULES
* Each possession begins on the 35-yard line.
* No kickoffs.
* All punts will be fair caught. (There’s a John Goodman joke here somewhere.)
* No overtime.
POINT SYSTEM
OFFENSE
Touchdown: 6 points
Extra Point: 1 point
2-point Conversion: 2 points
Field Goal: 3 points
Big Chunk Pass (25+ yards): 2 points
Big Chunk Run (20+ yards): 2 points
DEFENSE
Touchdown: 6 points
Turnover Forced Before 50-yard line: 4 points
Turnover Forced After 50-yard line: 2 points
Defensive Stop Before 50-yard line: 2 points
Defensive Stop After 50-yard line: 1 points
Safety: 2 points
Sack: 1 point
