NCAA Approves New Football Rules

The NCAA recently approved all of the changes recommended by the football rules committee. All the new rules will go into effect next season.

Here they are:

1. The 25-second clock is gone. Instead, the college game will be like the NFL. There will be a 40-second clock that will start immediately after the end of each play. Previously, the 25-second clock didn’t start until the ball was marked ready to play by the officials.

2. The clock will stop when a player goes out of bounds, but the clock will restart when the ball is marked ready for play. Previously, the clock did not start until the ball was snapped. The new rule will not apply in the final two minutes of the first half or the final two minutes of the game.

3. All facemask penalties will be 15 yards. There will no 5-yard incidental facemask penalty. That’s a return to the rules of the 1970s.

4. When a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team will have the option of taking the ball on its 40-yard line, instead of the 35 as the past. This is another change that copies the NFL.

5. Coaches who use an instant replay challenge will get an extra one if a challenge is upheld. Previously, coaches had just one challenge, regardless of what the ruling was.

6. There will no longer be sideline warnings for players and coaches who crowd the field during games. Instead, officials can assess a 5-yard penalty without warning.

7. A “horse collar” tackle, in which a defender grabs a runner inside the back of his shoulder pads, will now be a personal foul.