COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NCAA APPROVES TIMING CHANGES FOR 2007

Last season, the NCAA wanted to speed up football games. Next season, it wants more plays.

Yesterday, the rules oversight panel approved two major timing changes that would revert the rules to what they were in 2005 — stopping the clock on possession changes and not starting it on kick offs until the receiving team touches the ball.

Some coaches complained the 2006 changes, which resulted in about 14 fewer plays a game in Di vision I-A, had altered the game too much. Others said it prevented teams from rallying late in games.

In February, the football rules committee recommended going to back to the old system. After meeting with the American Football Coaches Association in March, the oversight panel agreed. Grant Teaff executive director of the AFCA, was overjoyed with the changes.

“It made me uncomfortable to watch it last year,” Teaff said. “It put a different slant on everything and it almost seemed to put every thing in reverse. If you, as an of fense, don’t have the right or op portunity to manage the clock, it’s not a good rule.”

GOLF

BACK INJURY TO SIDELINE SORENSTAM FOR A MONTH

Annika Sorenstam withdrew yes terday from the Ginn Open because of a ruptured disk in her back that will keep her from playing on the LPGA Tour for at least a month.

“I’ve been playing with quite a bit of pain for the past several weeks,” Sorenstam said in a statement. “I couldn’t take it much more and decided it was time to see someone after the pro-am yesterday. I with draw with deep regret.”

Sorenstam, 36, said doctors in south Florida discovered a rup tured disk and a bulging disk. She said she would see a neurosurgeon in Miami later yesterday to figure out what to do next.

JOHNSON BACK TO WORK AFTER MASTERS TRIUMPH

Masters champion Zach John son says he came to the Verizon Heritage to win. Johnson’s tired play Thursday showed otherwise.

After three days of celebrity meetings and TV guest appearances, the weary Johnson shot an up-and-down 70 at Harbour Town Golf Links. He was seven shots behind Jerry Kelly, the first-round leader at 8-under 63. Ernie Els was second at 65.

Still, Johnson’s smile rarely left during his morning round, even as made two bogeys and a four-putt double bogey. Crowds applauded his every move, Johnson gratefully acknowledging the praise, yet eager to get the focus back on his course work.

HOCKEY

VERSUS INVESTIGATING REPORTS 4TH OVERTIME WENT OFF AIR

Some television viewers who stayed up late to watch Dallas’ firstround playoff game against Vancouver might have missed Henrik Sedin’s fourth-overtime goal.

The game was televised on Versus, and the network said yesterday it received reports the game was switched to an infomercial during the last overtime.

“We are obviously very disappointed to hear that some fans in a few select markets have reported that they did not see the end of this great game,” network spokeswoman Katie Bradshaw said.

Henrik Sedin scored 18:06 into the fourth overtime — at about 3:30 a.m. EDT yesterday — to give the Canucks a 5–4 Game 1 win over the Stars in the sixth-longest playoff game in NHL history.

“The game did run in its entirety on the Versus network feed,” Bradshaw said. “But based on the information we have received, we are currently working with our affiliates in the affected markets to find out what caused the problem and to make sure that this doesn’t happen again during the playoffs.”

BASEBALL

MORE ARM PROBLEMS FOR PRIOR

Cubs pitcher Mark Prior had discomfort in his right shoulder and left his first extended spring training start after two innings yesterday. Prior was limited to nine games last season by shoulder problems and pitched only 10.1 innings in spring training. Prior was optioned to Triple-A Iowa at the end of spring training,