COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFICIATING, LLC
EQUIPMENT: A FEW CHANGES
TV MONITORS FOR COACHES
This year for the first time the coaches’ booths in the press box may legally be equipped with television monitors. The intent of this rule change is to allow the coaches watching the game in the press box to have access to the live TV broadcast or webcast, which could lead to better and more timely decisions about exercising a challenge for instant replay. Obviously, regulating equipment in the press box is not an officiating issue, and officials will have no responsibility in this matter. However, as officials you might get questions from the coaches about this change, so it’s best to be prepared.
The rule change appears in Rule 1-4-11 (this was 1-4-9 in previous years, but due to some reorganization of Rule 1 it has a new article number in the 2011-12 rule book). New language in the exception to paragraph (a) says this:
Exception: Television monitors are allowed in press box coaches’ booths. Monitors may only be used to view the live telecast or webcast. The home team is responsible for assuring identical television capability in the coaches’ booths of both teams. This capability may not include replay equipment or recorders.
This should be self-explanatory, but it is worth paying attention to the wording in case coaches ask you.
GLOVES: ANY COLOR IS OK—ALMOST
For a number of years the rules have required that if players wear gloves they must be gray. This requirement arose because teams on the road were occasionally wearing gloves to match the home jerseys color of the opponent. So to allow officials readily to detect a player’s gloves against the background of the opponent’s jersey the gloves were required to be gray--a “neutral” color in the sense that very few if any teams wear gray jerseys.
This year the rules committee decided that it was time to allow players to wear any color glove they choose, as the original reason for the gray gloves had faded over time. However, after the rules committee approved the change in February, for a variety of reasons they voted to modify the rule, to wit:
Institutions in Division I will now be allowed to wear gloves of any color.
Institutions in Divisions II and III will continue to be restricted to gray gloves in 2011 and will be allowed to wear gloves of any color beginning in 2012.
TOWELS—ANYONE MAY WEAR THEM
Beginning in 2011 any player on the field will be allowed to wear a towel. No longer will the wearing of towels be restricted to particular players or a certain number of players on each team. The regulations regarding size and color are still in place. The towels must be no larger than 4 inches by 12 inches. They must be white. And they may not contain anything on them except team logos—that is, no words, numbers, symbols, commercial logos, etc.
