Rule Change NCAA needs

[ElvisLives]

Flipping channels, I came across a UFL game, and watched one down. On that down I just happened to watch, teammates of the ball carrier started pushing him from behind, trying to push him across the goal line. They ruled progress stopped at the B-1 (plus/minus). The announcers then reported that, in the UFL, when teammates begin to assist the BC like that, progress is stopped at that point, and the ball is dead.
Good rule, IMHO. Better than a foul. Just kill it.
NCAA needs this rule (and so does the NFL). That “tush push” thing is bush league.

[dammitbobby]

I agree with this - while I have not been calling decades like many of yall, I have not ever seen an injury due to trying to push (or pull, for that matter) a ballcarrier.

[Morningrise]

The "maul" is an inherent part of rugby gameplay and strategy. If you have speedy players then you try to get the ball to the outside and set them running, but if you have strong beefy players then you tuck the ball and let them plow you forward in a maul while the opponent tries to get you on the ground. So I'm not convinced by arguments that the tush push is "not football" or "not entertaining": It's as classic as (and no more boring than) your standard "three yards and a cloud of dust." However, as a counter-argument, in rugby the opponent can try to maul you backward as well, and if they're stronger than you then getting stuck in a maul can be disastrous. In American football there's no such element of risk because getting your forward progress stopped ends the play. Maybe there should be a forward progress exception. Imagine if the Philadelphia Eagles tried their tush push against the wrong defense and got shoved backward eleven yards - now THAT would be an entertaining play.

[Ralph Damren]

We Mainers have been applying that interp for several years. No flag, just blowing the play dead as the runner's OWN forward progress has stopped. HTR can still be called if a teammate drags/pulls/carries the runner. Coaches are reminded in their pre-season clinics and fully understand. I've reviewed this interpreation with the NFHS and told it is acceptable.