2008 NCAA FB Rule Changes

[TXMike]

Football Rules Changes


NCAA Football Rules Committee Proposes Rules to Enhance Student-Athlete Safety and Encourage Consistent Pace of Play


For Immediate Release

Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Contact(s)

Ty Halpin
Associate Director for Playing Rules Administration
317/917-6136

INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA Football Rules Committee proposed changes intended to enhance and more strictly enforce rules related to student-athlete safety. The committee, which met February 11-13, addressed helmet contact, players that target a defenseless opponent, horse collar tackling, and enhanced rules dealing with dangerous chop blocks. Additionally, after a year of consideration, the committee proposed a 40/25 second play clock system to encourage a consistent pace of play. All rules proposals will be sent for membership comment and considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before taking effect.

"A main charge of the rules committee is to enhance the safety of our student-athletes," said Michael Clark, chair of the committee and head coach at Bridgewater (Virginia) College. "In recent years, the committee has attempted to address head-down contact and dangerous helmet contact in general. The committee is directing game officials to strictly penalize head-down contact as well as players that target defenseless opponents."

The committee has proposed adjusted wording to curb the incidences of dangerous helmet-related contact. In this change, the committee is giving game officials better guidance to penalize these hits.

"The committee is giving our game officials more tools to penalize potentially dangerous contact," said Rogers Redding, coordinator of officials at the Southeastern Conference and secretary-editor of the committee starting March 1. "Specifically, the committee is addressing players that use the crown of their helmet and players that target defenseless opponents when making contact above the shoulders."

A proposal relating to the chop block rule clarifies this area and will assist in officials and coaches in the understanding of this foul.

"Previously, this rule had many factors that officials had to consider," said Redding. "We have eliminated many of the conditions which made this difficult to officiate while retaining the illegality of the dangerous aspects of this foul."

Another safety proposal deals with a dangerous tackle – commonly referred to as a "horse collar." Any player will now be prohibited from grabbing the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling the runner down.

Two other major proposals deal with the pace of play. The rules committee passed a 40/25 second play clock system in an effort to standardize the pace of play. Unless the game is stopped for administrative reasons (e.g., change of possession, injury, etc.), the offensive team will have 40 seconds to snap the ball after it is declared dead.

Additionally, the committee made a change in the timing of the game after a play in which a runner goes out of bounds. Except in the last two minutes of each half, the game clock will start on a signal from the referee, rather than on the snap.

"This is a part of the continuing efforts to maintain a reasonable length of games and create a consistent pace of play at all levels," said Clark.

The committee also made the following proposals:

In the rules relating to instant replay, plays where a fumble leads to an immediate recovery may be reviewed.
In replay rules, a coach that challenges a play and is successful will retain the right to challenge one more time for a maximum of two.
When a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team may accept the ball at the 40-yard line instead of the 35.
The incidental five-yard face mask foul was removed. All face mask fouls (pulling, twisting or turning) will be a 15-yard penalty.
A yardage penalty for sideline control was instituted.


Formatting changes for ease of reading.
Thanks Mike -- Ralph Turner

[Teamski]

Wow, very interesting.  I think everybody knew that the horsecollar rule in the NFL would filter down to the NCAA.  This was a common sense ruling.  I am surprised that while the NCAA adopted the NFL's game clock rule, that they extended the 25 second clock to 40 seconds.  I'm not sure I agree with that.  If you want your players and coaches maintaining play-turning discipline, adding 15 seconds to the play clock doesn't help.  I suppose that they are taking in consideration the fact that NFL uses radios and the NCAA doesn't....

Thanks for the heads-up!

-Ski

[PA_wesleyfan]

ski

I think that it's a 40 and 25 sec clock like the pros. On a non dead ball the 40 starts as soon as the play is over. They don't wait for the ball to be set or the official to start the play clock. Still a 25 sec on dead ball.

[Fear the Poet]

I'm sure Chapman and Bob Owens will be dissapointed to hear about the chop block rules.

[TXMike]

It will be a play clock similar to what the NFL uses.  As soon as the ball becomes dead, you will see an official raise his hand in the air.  That is a signal to the clock operator to start the 40 second clock.  The offense has 40 seconds from taht moment to get the next play off.  In some cases, the clokc has to be stopped, i.e. to deal with a penalty.  In those type cases, once penalty is assessed, the referee will signal and the play clock operator will start the play clock (but it will only have 25 seconds on it when he starts it).

[Teamski]

Well, that clarifies it for me.  Thanks!

-Ski

[D3_DPUFan]

The incidental five-yard face mask foul was removed. All face mask fouls (pulling, twisting or turning) will be a 15-yard penalty.

while it seems to me as though the though the changes, in particular the horse collar, are appropriate...do you really think the incidental hand on the facemask is worthy of 15 yards???l 

[Mr. Ypsi]

The incidental five-yard face mask foul was removed. All face mask fouls (pulling, twisting or turning) will be a 15-yard penalty.

while it seems to me as though the though the changes, in particular the horse collar, are appropriate...do you really think the incidental hand on the facemask is worthy of 15 yards???l 

That could also be read as incidental (i.e., NO pulling, twisting, or turning) is no longer a penalty at all.  Anyone have insight on how this will actually be interpreted?

[PA_wesleyfan]

Mr. Ypsi

How many referees are there???
I think the chop block will have more scrutiny. And the extra or away from the play hits will be the Big game changers.

The horse collar is the best had to be put in .

As far as the clock , that's still controlled ref by ref. 

[D3_DPUFan]

That could also be read as incidental (i.e., NO pulling, twisting, or turning) is no longer a penalty at all.  Anyone have insight on how this will actually be interpreted? 

hmmm...good point..but i'll bet they will call them all...

[TXMike]

The facemask change is to eliminate all incidental facemask fouls.  That means that if we refs see an act that would have been a 5 yard facemask foul in the past, it is no longer to be flagged.  We are only to flag the 15 yard variety of facemask fouls.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The facemask change is to eliminate all incidental facemask fouls.  That means that if we refs see an act that would have been a 5 yard facemask foul in the past, it is no longer to be flagged.  We are only to flag the 15 yard variety of facemask fouls.

Great!  It always bugged me when a defender got flagged for accidentally brushing the face mask on his way to a legal tackle (unless my team was on offense, of course ).  I'm anxious to see how this actually works out.

[D3_DPUFan]

The facemask change is to eliminate all incidental facemask fouls.  That means that if we refs see an act that would have been a 5 yard facemask foul in the past, it is no longer to be flagged.  We are only to flag the 15 yard variety of facemask fouls.

Thanks for the clarification...good to know and a rule change that makes sense...

[kickerdad]

The facemask change is to eliminate all incidental facemask fouls.  That means that if we refs see an act that would have been a 5 yard facemask foul in the past, it is no longer to be flagged.  We are only to flag the 15 yard variety of facemask fouls.

TXMike,

There are lots of incidental fouls committed during a game. How will a side judge or linesman be coached by the NCAA or who ever trains these guys... that when he observes an incidental face mask on the side line but gets rattled by the coaches and players screaming for a flag (on the same side line) then he decides he better throw one in order to keep peace on his side of the field?

I have been told (this is purely grapevine talk) that the officals that do DIII are nothing more than high school refs or they are in their first year at any level. Side line chatter whether it be DI or DIII can be hard on new guys and cause them to make unnessary calls, or even miss calls. How do you train these guys to overcome this, other than putting them out there and letting them get baptised by fire?

Second question, if I wanted to become a ref, what steps would I need to complete and go through. I have thought about doing it after my son completes his college career. Would I be required to do high school first or how does that work?

[TXMike]

Any ref who is throwing flags to "keep the peace: is not going to last loing at any level of football. 

I have never heard of anyone being accepted to ref at D-III level without having reffed HS ball for awhile.  You need to start in HS ball.  There are associations in every state that oversee HS officiating and you could go through them to find a local group.  After you ref HS ball for several years you might get a chance to do D=III ball but it is more likely that it will take 5 - 10 years to get there, depending on where you live.

Whoever said what you reported re D-III refs is off base.   That is not accurate