Extend the half time length to 10 minutes, run the clock through balls over, make a strict 1 minute break between each point with the clock running through that as well. For the half time extension to 10 minutes, this gives teams more of a time to rest, grab some water, tape fingers, etc. I know that a lot of proposals have been made to shorten game times but the next 2 adjustments will help that. A lot of time is wasted with random things happening between points (team discussion, grabbing water, peeing, etc.). Also, it shouldn’t take 2 referees and 2 timekeepers more than 1 minute to place 10 balls in their respective locations on the court with the help of some team members. Though team discussion may be cut, the extra 5 minutes during half time could allow for more team discussion for a strong second half. With balls over, a lot of slacking and playing around again wastes time. I’ve seen it take 2 minutes or so for teams to get 10 balls on one side and to finally start. For example, one of the longest games I was a part of was the Kent State/Baldwin Wallace game at Ohio Dodgeball Cup this year. I was the referee and an irregular amount of balls over happened. Though I was the referee and I take partial blame on this, the balls over constituted a lot of time. If instead the clock ran through this, the referee should make teams quit playing around and get ready. That or make a 30 second stop for balls over but it shouldn’t take as long as it does most of the time. With this being said, if referees stuck to these strict timing rules, games shouldn’t have to take up an hour and fifteen or twenty minutes.
For example, let’s say a game goes to a total of 6 points with both teams using all of their allowed timeouts and 6 balls over happening, with the running clock through balls over, the game should take no more than 64 minutes to finish up if the referees stick to the strict timing rules. Even if you stopped the clock for 30 seconds for the balls over and the 1 minute break after each point, the game should still take no more than 73 minutes. Teams are scheduling tournaments for 75 minutes or more a game. If the strict timing rules were followed, teams wouldn’t have to worry about running through to other games.
Pros:
Games will end quicker like people want and a longer half time makes for a less daunting second half for some teams that take little to no substitutes.
Time won’t be wasted on random things during events like after point breaks and balls over breaks.
Cons:
This is does make games 60 minutes instead of 55 minutes but with the things proposed along with it, games shouldn’t take as long as they have been.