The NCAA Rules Committee on Wednesday eliminated the year-old battery of regulations intended to shorten game times, acknowledging that the rules' residual effect -- the loss an average 12 plays per game -- had unfairly altered the course of play.

Most importantly, the committee restored the old regulation that the game clock starts with snap after a change in possession. Last season, the clock would resume running when the ball was whistled ready for play. Additionally, the clock will not start after a free kick until it is legally touched, unlike the new 2006 rule that stipulated the clock-start when the ball was kicked.

These recommendations will be sent on to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which next meets March 12. No rule can be enacted without approval from the oversight panel.

"The changes we made last year, overall, did not have a positive effect on college football at all levels," said Michael Clark, chair of the committee and head coach at Bridgewater (Va.) College, in an NCAA release. "Our charge is to protect the game and do what is best for college football. Last year's game lost too many plays, but it accomplished the need to shorten the overall time it takes to play a game."

New measures recommended

While rule-makers were pleased with an average 14-minute reduction in running time, they recommended new measures to restore the missing 12 plays without effecting game times. Among them:

• Limit the play clock to 15 seconds following a television timeout.
• Kickoffs moved from 35-yard line to 30-yard line.
• Reduced charged team timeouts by 30 seconds.
• Penalties for all kicking team fouls that occur during the kick can be enforced at the end of the run.
• Encourage coaches, officials, game management personnel, media partners to manage the game in a more efficient manner.
• Play clock is started when the ball is handed to the kicker by the umpire on all free kicks.
• Limit instant replay reviews to two minutes to decide to overturn or confirm the ruling on the field