Rule Changes for College Football in 2025

[VeloClone]

I'm not sure I've seen an official miss that a player is down/injured.

This change is 99% for the guys who get a signal from the sideline while lining up for the next play, and then are suddenly "injured."

Taking a timeout may feel a little heavy-handed initially, but if that's what is necessary to rein in the acting, I'm all for it.

I'm not suggesting that they miss them entirely, just that in a hurry up scenario the ball may be spotted very quickly before they notice that a player hasn't gotten up. Hell, many times they give a player several seconds to get up before they blow the whistle for an injury timeout.

 

[VeloClone]

Here's a crazy idea for that rule: If a player goes down after the spot of the ball/start of the play clock that player is no longer eligible for the remaining time of the first half or second half.

A lot of times you see said player going down with an injury only to come bopping back in on the next play as if nothing ever happened. It may make a lot of players and/or coaches think twice about allowing this to happen.

I would however put in an exception - like a player going down after the spot of the ball and is considered to be medically unable to continue playing and have to be helped off or carted off the field, which should not result in a penalty or use of a time out as safety for said player should be the number one priority. But that player is also not eligible to reenter the game of said half.

This won't help with trying to stop the clock in the waning seconds of a half to get a score. A player could go down to get the FG unit on the field without penalty since he wasn't going to play the rest of the half anyway. Would need a special under 2:00 in a half rule to deal with that.

 

[Clonehomer]

This won't help with trying to stop the clock in the waning seconds of a half to get a score. A player could go down to get the FG unit on the field without penalty since he wasn't going to play the rest of the half anyway. Would need a special under 2:00 in a half rule to deal with that.

Doesn’t that already come with a 10 second runoff?

 

[VeloClone]

Doesn’t that already come with a 10 second runoff?

Does it? I'm not sure what all triggers the 10 second runoff.

EDIT: I just looked. You are correct.

 

[Jer]

Would you also penalize hard counts on the offense? If its not acceptable for the defense to trick the offense, why is it acceptable for the offense to trick the defense?

I agree with preventing the defense from simulating the snap verbally, but anything else should be fair game. The Offense can be staring at the ball if they are that worried about a false start, so there is an easy fix for the offense to work around physical stuff from the defense. I could probably make the same argument that looking at the ball would also prevent false starts on fake verbal calls.

I see and understand your take. I don't know what the answer is or where it become "fair".

But when a defense can imitate and entire blitz package right up to the line, you're asking 300 lbs kids bent over to not twitch an eyelash.

 

[theshadow]

I remember one game when ISU was hosting Misery. ISU was up less than a minute left. Misery drove down and got into field goal range without time outs and with the clock still moving. A player went down and feigned injury so the Misery field goal unit could get on the field.

Add Minnesota's Darrell Thompson (1989) to that list.

Gophers called their last timeout of the first half on 3rd and goal, with about 15 seconds left. Thompson got caught for a loss, faked an injury to stop the clock, and Minnesota ran the FG unit on for a chip-shot 3 points before halftime.

Thompson was so injured that he sprinted right off the field as the clock expired.

 

[clone52]

Because the defense can be fooled and move but as long as they don't enter the neutral zone at the very least it isn't a penalty. For an offensive player any movement is a penalty.

Thats a fair point. I just thought it was worth a discussion.

 

[clone52]

I see and understand your take. I don't know what the answer is or where it become "fair".

But when a defense can imitate and entire blitz package right up to the line, you're asking 300 lbs kids bent over to not twitch an eyelash.

I was more just asking a question. Not really arguing it should be that way.

And twitching an eyelash is hyperbole. They can move a little, its just when its moving to start a play that it gets called.

 

[syclonefan]

This one is gonna be a gut punch for Iowa. It's well know that they do this, especially at home on 3rd downs when the stadium is really loud.

• Enhanced rules regarding simulating action at the snap and words or signals that distract opponents when they are preparing to put the ball in play will also be effective next season. No player can call defensive signals that simulate the sound or cadence of the offensive signals. The defensive terms "move" and "stem" would be reserved for players on that side of the ball and could not be used by the offense.

This penalty is either not going to be called all season or will be the most obnoxious penalty by week 3, no in between.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Overtime timeouts​

The panel also approved a rule change regarding overtime timeouts. If a game reaches a third overtime, each team will have one timeout beginning with the third overtime until a winner is determined.

Previously, teams were allotted one timeout for each overtime period. At the start of the third overtime, teams alternate running 2-point plays until a winner is decided.

Football Rules Committee members want to keep the action moving once a game reaches a third extra period.


This was way overdue. I always thought having a timeout for each overtime was such a slog

 

[TitanClone]

Disregard the TO and just have the injured player sit out for longer than one play, probably the rest of the possession. If they’re cramping, give them time to hydrate. If they’re hurt, give them time for the medical staff to examine them. You may still get fake injuries, but at least it won’t be a matter of a player immediately returning to the game.

Or maybe do like icing in hockey and don’t let the defense substitute with an injured player?

I don't hate either of these ideas. Just devil's advocate, there are a lot of legit situations in football where a player gets blown up and has the wind knocked out him or a stinger that will go away quickly. Keeping the subjectivity out of it while keeping the playing field fair is tough.

 

[harimad]

Don’t see anything in there about reducing TV timeouts, which is one of the biggest threats to the game. Wish they would grow the juevos to dictate some terms to the networks.

 

[IcSyU]

Don’t see anything in there about reducing TV timeouts, which is one of the biggest threats to the game. Wish they would grow the juevos to dictate some terms to the networks.

That's the conferences responsibilities. They sold their souls to increase revenue and the fans get to pay for it.

 

[Clonehomer]

Don’t see anything in there about reducing TV timeouts, which is one of the biggest threats to the game. Wish they would grow the juevos to dictate some terms to the networks.

That's the conferences responsibilities. They sold their souls to increase revenue and the fans get to pay for it.

I’d like to see a more standard system for TV breaks like basketball. Put a standard out there for everyone to follow of when to go to break. Also, put a max limit for length across all CFB. Some of these breaks are lasting long enough that it starts to affect the rhythm of the offense.

 

[KidSilverhair]

I’d like to see a more standard system for TV breaks like basketball. Put a standard out there for everyone to follow of when to go to break. Also, put a max limit for length across all CFB. Some of these breaks are lasting long enough that it starts to affect the rhythm of the offense.

No, no, no, football just isn’t football without the touchdown-commercial break-extra point-commercial break-kickoff-commercial break sequence! Don’t take that away!

And how can the game experience get better without those numerous 3:35 long breaks? Jeepers, you know the players need to catch their breath, right? The guy with the orange sleeve is the most popular guy in the stadium!

/jimlad, in case you need it

 

[theshadow]

I’d like to see a more standard system for TV breaks like basketball. Put a standard out there for everyone to follow of when to go to break. Also, put a max limit for length across all CFB. Some of these breaks are lasting long enough that it starts to affect the rhythm of the offense.

The "standard" is changes of possession, with extended injury and replay being secondary.

Imagine having breaks set up similar to hoops, at 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00.

"That incomplete pass at 11:56 puts us in our break zone. Timeout on the field, 4th and 6 coming up right after this."

 

[VeloClone]

The "standard" is changes of possession, with extended injury and replay being secondary.

Imagine having breaks set up similar to hoops, at 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00.

"That incomplete pass at 11:56 puts us in our break zone. Timeout on the field, 4th and 6 coming up right after this."

But how often is it an injury, they spend 90 seconds watching the guy roll around on the ground, the training staff comes out and they show a replay of what happened then they finally go to a commercial break. That is 90 seconds of our lives that we are never going to get back.

They could get creative with L-Bar advertising during stoppages in play and split screen commercials while we watch them get their poop in a group before explaining why a flag was thrown or while we wait for the medical staff to come out on the field to look at a guy and then help him off the field.

Football has a lot of downtime already built into the game. There is little legitimate reason to be adding a ton of long breaks in as well.

 

[Clonehomer]

The "standard" is changes of possession, with extended injury and replay being secondary.

Imagine having breaks set up similar to hoops, at 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00.

"That incomplete pass at 11:56 puts us in our break zone. Timeout on the field, 4th and 6 coming up right after this."

But some conferences do the NFL before and after kickoff BS while some don’t. And it’s not always with a change of possession as it seems to depend on how recently there was the last break. But the biggest thing is a stander length of breaks. Sometimes it’s a quick 90 seconds, but on prime time games it’s well beyond 4 minute breaks now. Which is why games on ESPN always seem to go beyond the 3.5 hour allotment now. Let’s set the standard of frequency and length of breaks allowed and make the TV networks bid based on that rather than the networks dictating them.

 

[theshadow]

But some conferences do the NFL before and after kickoff BS while some don’t. And it’s not always with a change of possession as it seems to depend on how recently there was the last break.

That's not a conference thing.

There are a designated number of media timeouts per quarter, based on the network. Most of the time, it's 3 in the odd quarters and 4 in the even quarters.
If you have a team taking 7:00 or 8:00 for a scoring drive, that jams up the breaks.

Example:
Start of period - 3 and out
13:00 - they're not taking a break after one short possession
10:00 - Team A FG (break #1)
3:30 - Long TD drive by Team B (break #2)
At this point, the producer knows they still contractually have to get either 1 or 2 more breaks in yet this quarter. That results in the break after kickoff (break #3).

If it's a 4-break quarter, now the truck is praying for another quick possession (3 and out, ideally) or some other stoppage in order to get that last one in.