Let's have some fun

[ElvisLives]

Rule Changes I'd Like to See

-No player may have a mouthpiece hanging loose from their helmet, facemask, or any other part of their person or clothing, and not in the player's mouth when the ball is put in play.
-All players of a team must wear identical leg coverings that cover both of their entire legs between their shoes and the leg openings of their pants. No part of a player's skin on their legs may be exposed to view at any time while they are on the field as a player or substitute, and the ball is ready for play.
-All players must have their jersey, or an undershirt of color identical to their jersey color, that is tucked into the waist of the player's pants. No part a player's skin on their torso shall be exposed to view at any time while they are on the field as a player or substitute, and the ball is ready for play.
-All parts of a player's shoulder pads and back pads must be fully covered by the player's jersey. Jerseys may not be altered to allow any part of the shoulder pads to be exposed.
-No player may tackle and forcibly throw an opponent to the ground by swinging them.
-No player shall fall on an opponent who is lying on the ground, or stationary on the ground on their knees and/or hand(s). Such opponent may not be contacted until he has risen to his feet.
-A player that has driven an opponent to the ground and is lying on top of the opponent must release that opponent, and stand or roll off of the opponent.

I may have more, but those are conversation starters. Eh?   

[Stinterp]

We have alot of those uniform rules now...

Also, the numbering exception rule has to be reworded.

[zebrastripes]

I’d like to see some bright line thresholds in substitution rules/mechanics rather than the “athletic pace” nonsense.

How about, B has 4 seconds to begin a substitution and 8 seconds to complete the substitution? R drops the iron cross at whichever moment comes first.

I’d also like to see non-flagrant personal fouls (such as HCT) committed after a change of possession during a try or extra period be allowed to be carried to the next series.

[Kalle]

Get rid of the requirement that only the widest linemen can go downfield on a pass. Just require at least five linemen with 50-79 and have them be ineligible, and allow 2-5 eligible linemen. This would probably mean getting rid of the SKF exception for numbering or disallowing any downfield team A player if there is one or more SKF exceptions.

[sj]

- Remove the score criteria from 3-4-3-b. Even though 3-4-3-a could be used in certain situations after the two-minute timeout it could provide clarity.

If the game clock is stopped to complete a penalty for a foul by the team
ahead in the score (or either team if the score is tied) anytime after the
Two-Minute Timeout in the 2nd or 4th quarters and the clock would start
by rule on the referee’s signal, it will start on the snap, at the option of the
offended team The game clock will start on the ready-for-play signal after
Team A throws an illegal forward or backward pass to conserve time

It could give clarity for this situation where the foul is by the team behind in the score:

A 3/4 @ B13. 4th quarter. After the two-minute timeout. Team B is ahead in the score and leads by two points. Team A is working to position themselves to kick a field goal to take the lead. Running back A35 is tackled inbounds for a first down at the B8. The game clock is stopped at 1:19. A70 is flagged for holding at the B13.

- Change the time aspect for the guidance in 3-4-3-a from five minutes to 10 minutes for the 4th quarter. Under five in the 2nd quarter would remain the same.

 - And I think Elvis may have mentioned this once but change it so that a valid fair catch signal requires only one wave instead of more than once. That's how it’s officiated anyways.

[bossman72]

- Remove the score criteria from 3-4-3-b. Even though 3-4-3-a could be used in certain situations after the two-minute timeout it could provide clarity.

If the game clock is stopped to complete a penalty for a foul by the team
ahead in the score (or either team if the score is tied) anytime after the
Two-Minute Timeout in the 2nd or 4th quarters and the clock would start
by rule on the referee’s signal, it will start on the snap, at the option of the
offended team The game clock will start on the ready-for-play signal after
Team A throws an illegal forward or backward pass to conserve time

It could give clarity for this situation where the foul is by the team behind in the score:

A 3/4 @ B13. 4th quarter. After the two-minute timeout. Team B is ahead in the score and leads by two points. Team A is working to position themselves to kick a field goal to take the lead. Running back A35 is tackled inbounds for a first down at the B8. The game clock is stopped at 1:19. A70 is flagged for holding at the B13.

- Change the time aspect for the guidance in 3-4-3-a from five minutes to 10 minutes for the 4th quarter. Under five in the 2nd quarter would remain the same.

 - And I think Elvis may have mentioned this once but change it so that a valid fair catch signal requires only one wave instead of more than once. That's how it’s officiated anyways.

I like removing this simply because it's 1 less thing for us to remember.  I think the score being a factor is silly.  Especially since at the end of the 2nd qtr, the team ahead could be driving in a 2 minute drill and doesn't get the benefit to stop the clock.  NFHS rule is better.  The offended team always gets the option.

I'd also like to see the "clock is stopped to complete a penalty" wording go away.  It's confusing and not necessary.  Just say the team that committed the foul or offended team.

[bossman72]

Here's a list of mine that I keep.  I'm in the process of vetting out the latter half with references, etc, but let me know what you think.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vdOIfq4oJu1f8hT9zmeh_YgTB12OPq_DI0RaKrZFSk8/edit?usp=sharing

[JBall]

Lets take uniform out of the rule book it's not enforced. It makes it harder to enforce high school because they ser what's allowed at college and pro level.

[ncwingman]

Get rid of the requirement that only the widest linemen can go downfield on a pass. Just require at least five linemen with 50-79 and have them be ineligible, and allow 2-5 eligible linemen. This would probably mean getting rid of the SKF exception for numbering or disallowing any downfield team A player if there is one or more SKF exceptions.

No, enforce it like you've worded - only the widest lineman are eligible receivers. No more skinny guys.

[ump_ben]

I’d like to see some bright line thresholds in substitution rules/mechanics rather than the “athletic pace” nonsense.

How about, B has 4 seconds to begin a substitution and 8 seconds to complete the substitution? R drops the iron cross at whichever moment comes first.

I’d also like to see non-flagrant personal fouls (such as HCT) committed after a change of possession during a try or extra period be allowed to be carried to the next series.

This is definitely the right rule but not sure about the change.  A few ideas. 
1)  The offensive window to substitute ends at 10 seconds or maybe 12.  If we're still in iron cross when the clock expires DOG on B.
2)  If a substitution matchup results in the play clock expiring this is an offsetting penalty for "failure to cooperate in susbtituting effectively"  The referee retains discretion to charge one team of the other for delay if they are messing with it (even without the play clock expiring).  This penalty leaves the game clock stopped and is not eligible for zap-10.  This leaves the basic flows basically unchanged and late in the game B can still force time to be burned off by reacting to a sub but most of the gamesmanship around this goes away.
3)  If B is attempting to sub out and the iron cross needs to be dropped for time reasons as long as the B players continue to leave the field, there is no foul for illegal substitution. 
None of them quite works.  3 would be a pain to implement.  1 gets annoying when the coach wants to think about punting and send the team in somewhat late.  2 is fine except at the edge cases which is kind of where we are now.  But it would at least solve the sub slowly to cost the other team a timeout thing we have going now.

[jra104]

How about not down till touched down?

[dammitbobby]

How about not down till touched down?

That would be a HUGE change, I don't think that will likely go anywhere.

[dammitbobby]

One of my pet peeves is the dangling mouthpieces. If we can't get a rule change, at least give us a point of emphasis so we have something to stand on to enforce it.

[Imperial Stout]

- Remove the score criteria from 3-4-3-b. Even though 3-4-3-a could be used in certain situations after the two-minute timeout it could provide clarity.

If the game clock is stopped to complete a penalty for a foul by the team
ahead in the score (or either team if the score is tied) anytime after the
Two-Minute Timeout in the 2nd or 4th quarters and the clock would start
by rule on the referee’s signal, it will start on the snap, at the option of the
offended team The game clock will start on the ready-for-play signal after
Team A throws an illegal forward or backward pass to conserve time

It could give clarity for this situation where the foul is by the team behind in the score:

A 3/4 @ B13. 4th quarter. After the two-minute timeout. Team B is ahead in the score and leads by two points. Team A is working to position themselves to kick a field goal to take the lead. Running back A35 is tackled inbounds for a first down at the B8. The game clock is stopped at 1:19. A70 is flagged for holding at the B13.

- Change the time aspect for the guidance in 3-4-3-a from five minutes to 10 minutes for the 4th quarter. Under five in the 2nd quarter would remain the same.

 - And I think Elvis may have mentioned this once but change it so that a valid fair catch signal requires only one wave instead of more than once. That's how it’s officiated anyways.

This is yet another example of a rule that was made more complicated than it really needs to be for no good reason. I have a limited amount of storage upstairs and this would be one less thing to forget.

[bossman72]

How about not down till touched down?

No thank you.

[TxJim]

Here's a list of mine that I keep.  I'm in the process of vetting out the latter half with references, etc, but let me know what you think.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vdOIfq4oJu1f8hT9zmeh_YgTB12OPq_DI0RaKrZFSk8/edit?usp=sharing

"(3)  On fouls by Team B after a change of possession on a Try or Extra period - have all 15 yard fouls enforced on the subsequent spot.  Currently, Team A can horse collar tackle Team B to save a touchdown and there is no penalty for doing so.  This penalizes all cheap shots and increases player safety."

I kind of like this one. In the FCS Championship game earlier this week, a try in the first OT possession series was blocked. On the B return, A tackled by the FM. Foul was correctly declined by rule since it's not flagrant. The next possession series started at the 25. So remove "flagrant" from 8-3-4-a and we start at the 12.5 or the 40 (in this instance).

[Morningrise]

One of my pet peeves is the dangling mouthpieces. If we can't get a rule change, at least give us a point of emphasis so we have something to stand on to enforce it.

Mouthpiece manufacturers are now intentionally making them with fat straps just so viewers can see them as they dangle, like the feather in the marching band's hats, or like a billboard if they're printed with messages on them.

[Morningrise]

Rule Changes I'd Like to See

-No player may have a mouthpiece hanging loose from their helmet, facemask, or any other part of their person or clothing, and not in the player's mouth when the ball is put in play.
-All players of a team must wear identical leg coverings that cover both of their entire legs between their shoes and the leg openings of their pants. No part of a player's skin on their legs may be exposed to view at any time while they are on the field as a player or substitute, and the ball is ready for play.
-All players must have their jersey, or an undershirt of color identical to their jersey color, that is tucked into the waist of the player's pants. No part a player's skin on their torso shall be exposed to view at any time while they are on the field as a player or substitute, and the ball is ready for play.
-All parts of a player's shoulder pads and back pads must be fully covered by the player's jersey. Jerseys may not be altered to allow any part of the shoulder pads to be exposed.

The only reason why the NFL has attractive and correctly worn uniforms is because there's a whole separate disciplinary structure with fines and even a roster of paid employees at game sites whose only duty is to patrol and enforce the rules completely separate from the officiating crew. If that job fell on the zebras, it wouldn't get done just like it doesn't get done in college. Because nobody from the fans to the conference commissioners to the officials ourselves wants to see us being the ones enforcing the uniform rules as hard as we'd have to. We get enough grief already for "interrupting the game flow" and "making it about ourselves" by "affecting the outcome of the game" with "ticky tack calls," and that's just for fouls affecting the competition or the opponent's safety, which uniform violations do not.

It's tempting to say "Well now that FBS football is played by paid professionals, those players ought to be fair game for fines just like in 'the pros'" - but despite the headline deals we hear about, those are a long tail and not representative of the median player, who is not earning much more than before. Over half of all NIL deals are for $100 or less.

So if in-game competitive penalties are a nonstarter even if they're on the books, and individual fines aren't feasible even if the NCAA somehow won the power to levy them, are there other approaches? What if the schools were on the hook for fines instead of the players? Create a dedicated uniform police as the NFL does, have them sit and watch and note the numbers of noncompliant players, and then after every game notify the schools that they had N uniform violations and have forfeited 0.XYZ% of their postseason revenue, or revenue sharing, or some other source of income that the NCAA has control over (there must exist one such money stream, right?).

[ilyazhito]

That would make sense. If the schools get fined for non-compliant uniforms, it might create an incentive for them to actually police uniform compliance and not leave it to the officials, who are probably told to look the other way, at least in the major conferences.

[Grant - AR]

What if the schools were on the hook for fines instead of the players? Create a dedicated uniform police as the NFL does, have them sit and watch and note the numbers of noncompliant players, and then after every game notify the schools that they had N uniform violations and have forfeited 0.XYZ% of their postseason revenue, or revenue sharing, or some other source of income that the NCAA has control over (there must exist one such money stream, right?).

I've said this for years and even mentioned it to a very high ranking individual with the NCAA 10-12 years ago (I'm pretty sure it went in one ear and out the other), but I'm not holding my breath that something like this will ever happen.  If the NCAA was truly concerned about uniforms, they would do something like this. 

[dammitbobby]

Here's a list of mine that I keep.  I'm in the process of vetting out the latter half with references, etc, but let me know what you think.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vdOIfq4oJu1f8hT9zmeh_YgTB12OPq_DI0RaKrZFSk8/edit?usp=sharing

Here's two you could add to your list.


9-4-1-a: While a pass is in flight, only a player who is eligible to touch the ball may bat it in any direction (Exception: Rule 9-4-2).
Rule 9-4-2: A backward pass in flight shall not be batted forward by the passing team.

Proposed language:
9-1-4-1-a: While a forward pass is in flight, only a player who is eligible to touch the ball may bat it in any direction.
9-4-2: A backward pass in flight shall not be batted forward by the passing team.
I believe this helps simplify the rules language a little bit by removing the exception altogether. The intent and spirit of the rule are preserved, it just makes the rule a little more straightforward by reducing the complexity than an exception can generate, which helps officials with comprehension and recall of the rule.


Modifying rules so that simulating a pass into the ground results in the ball being dead.
Existing rules:
4-1-3: A live ball becomes dead and an official shall sound their whistle or declare it dead:
4-1-3-o: When a ball carrier simulates placing their knee on the ground.
4-1-3-r: Any time a ball carrier simulates or fakes a feet-first slide, the ball should be declared dead by the on-field officials at that point. (A.R. 4-1-3-III and IV).

From my understanding, the reason for these two acts declaring the ball dead, are because Team A has essentially conceded the down by simulating the end of the play. I propose a rule modification that would have simulating spiking the ball would result in an immediate dead ball.

All three situations have the same goal: to deceive the defense into giving up on the play because they have signaled that they will take the yardage gained to that point, and no more. Simulating spiking the ball has the exact same intention as simulating kneeling and simulating sliding: it is to lull the defense into believing that the play is over, and to give team A an unfair advantage. Kneeling and sliding have been appropriately addressed within the rules, but faking a spike has not.

Simulating spiking the ball into the ground to conserve time and then throwing a legal pass is not the same as a pump fake. A pump fake exists to draw the defense out of position and allow a receiver to gain separation from a defender to catch a pass. No defense will assume that with a pump fake, the play is over; play continues until the natural end of the play.
There is significant mechanical differentiations between a pump fake and simulating spiking the ball into the ground, so it will not be difficult for officials to determine whether or not the passing action was a pump fake, or to simulate giving up on the play.

As with simulating kneeling and sliding, there should be no penalty associated with this action, but the ball should be immediately declared dead, and treated as if a spike did occur.  This gives the offense the benefit of a spiked ball, without penalizing them by having a running clock. The defense gets the benefit of the loss of down, without giving up a big play/touchdown through a deceptive act.

I am not aware of any other act in football that allows an offense to simulate the end of a down, where the ball is not immediately declared dead. I believe this change would be beneficial in standardizing all play situations where an unfair advantage could be obtained through simulating the end of a down, making the game more equitable.

[Morningrise]

Here's an editorial change that would
- Be extremely easy to write
- Make the rule easier to remember
- Better achieve the rule's intent

8-3-2-d-5. The try ends when... A Team A Any player fumbles and the ball is caught or recovered by any Team A player a teammate other than the fumbler. There is no Team A score Any score by the fumbling team is canceled (A.R. 8-3-2-VIII).

Orrrr here's an even better version that's only slightly wordier but applies the rule to extra periods where the intent likewise holds:

7-2-2-a-Exception 1: Delete

7-2-2-a-Exception 2: On fourth down before a change of team possession, during a try at any time, or in extra periods after a change of possession, when a Team A fumble is caught or recovered by a Team A player teammate other than the fumbler, the ball is dead. If the catch or recovery is beyond the spot of the fumble, the ball is returned to the spot of the fumble. If the catch or recovery is behind the spot of the fumble, the ball remains at the spot of the catch or recovery. The try or possession series is over.

8-3-2-d-5: The try ends when... A Team A player fumbles and the ball is caught or recovered by any Team A player other than the fumbler. There is no Team A score A fumble is caught or recovered by a teammate other than the fumbler (Rule 7-2-2-a-Exception) (A.R. 8-3-2-VIII).