On the Clock: How long should you set the draft pick timer?
It is often an after--through, but the amount of time you (the Commish) set for the draft pick timer can have a profound impact on your draft. Too short of a draft clock will make things feel anxious and hard to enjoy. Too long of a draft clock, and impatience sets in.
One thing is for certain, no matter what the draft clock gets set at, nobody is going to be completely happy. You’ll have owners that want to take their time and savor the draft event, and other owners bitching that it’s taking long. The key is to have balance and flexibility.
Below are a series of recommendations for keeping everyone mildly happy, and helping to assure a good flow to your draft:
Change the clock time at a certain point in the draft:
The first rounds of the draft are the most fun, and it’s early so nobody’s patience has yet been tested. Start off with a lengthier draft clock time, and then reduce it later on. It’s also worth considering reducing it even further for the final 2 or 3 rounds of the draft. This is when everyone is filling up their roster with backup kickers and defenses.Establish the Clock Rules prior to starting the draft:
This will make sure everyone clearly understands what’s happening, which will reduce the more vocal ones from yelling out “This is taking too long! Lower the draft time!”
The more everyone understands what to expect, the less questioning that will take place.Utilize “Draft Extensions”:
Some owners are very fast at deciding their picks. Other owners will occasionally need a little more time. Giving owners a set amount of “extensions” will allow more flexibility in your decided draft clock time, and help keep everyone happy.Decide what to do if the clock hits zero, and no pick has been made
You need to have a rule for what happens if a team hasn’t made a pick by their set draft time. Using a forced “extension” is one way to deal with this.
Some leagues will be a little harsher and just skip that pick.
Whatever you decide, make sure everyone understands the rules ahead of time.
All this said, a good rule of thumb is to simply not be a jerk. I sometimes just give a verbal warning of “You need to choose a player in the next 5 seconds or you’ll lose this selection”, and it’s been a no-fail method of forcing the said owner to make an immediate pick.
A Good Starting Template
Every league is different, so there is really no “perfect setup” for your draft clock rules.
However, if you want a good jumping-off-point, here’s a template that has worked very well for the two leagues I have commissioned for 10+ years each:
For the first 4 rounds, the draft clock will be set for 3 minutes 30 seconds
For the remaining rounds, the draft clock will be changed to 2 minutes.
For the final 3 rounds, the draft clock will be reduced to 1 minute.
Each team will be allowed 2 “Extensions”, each of which will add one minute to the draft clock. If desired, both draft extensions may be used twice consecutively for a single pick.
(Optional) If you use a draft extension, you must do a shot of whiskey.
