2011 Rule Changes

• Con_Alma

  Some interesting things coming especially the taunting rule.
  
  *The big change in 2011 will be the taunting rule. This was previously approved last year. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties can now be live-ball fouls, meaning a touchdown would be nullified if a player is flagged for taunting before crossing the end zone. When a player commits unsportsmanlike behavior after crossing the goal line, the penalty will still be a dead-ball foul and the touchdown will count. Get ready for some player next season to become the poster boy of this new rule.
  
  * Also approved last year: Video monitors will now be allowed in the coaches' booth to determine whether to challenge a call. Only a live broadcast of the game will be allowed, meaning no editing/rewinding capabilities. If monitors are installed, the home team must provide the same equipment in both coaching booths.
  
  * Penalize when three defensive players line up shoulder to shoulder and move forward on place kicks. Coaches on the committee believe it's dangerous for one offensive lineman to be overpowered by three defensive players attempting to block the kick.
  
  * Data will be gathered during the 2011 season on how many helmets fly off and whether it is a safety concern. There was consideration to force a player whose helmet has been dislodged to leave the game for a play. Instead, there will be a point of emphasis for coaches and officials in 2011 to ensure players have all four points of the chin strap buckled and that they're wearing a mouthpiece and other required equipment.
  
  * Conferences are encouraged to have umpires line up in the backfield during spring practices and spring games. The NFL made that move in 2010, except for the last five minutes of the first half and last two minutes of the second half. College football wants to collect feedback on whether umpires are in better position in the backfield to make calls, particularly on the backside of a play.
  
  * The intentional grounding rule has been adjusted. It won't be called as long as the eligibile receiver is in the area of the pass. Previously, it was called if a receiver did not have a reasonable opportunity to catch the ball.
  
  * The crazy Music City Bowl finish between North Carolina and Tennessee got college football's attention. The NCAA Football Rules Committee has recommended that penalties which occur in the last minute of both halves, and stops the game clock, include a 10-second runoff of the clock -- similar to how the NFL does it.
  
  The opponent would have the option to take the penalty yardage with the 10-second rundown, take the penalty without the rundown to preserve the time remaining, or decline both the rundown and the penalty yardage. The clock would restart when the ball is marked ready for play.
  
  "The idea is to prevent a team from gaining an advantage by committing a foul to stop the clock," Rogers Redding, secretary-rules editor of the committee, said in an NCAA news release announcing the proposals.
  
  At the Music City Bowl in December, North Carolina was penalized with one second left against Tennessee for having too many players on the field when spiking the ball in an effort to stop the clock. The stoppage allowed the Tar Heels to get their field-goal unit into the game and kick the tying field goal on the last play. North Carolina won in double-overtime.
  
  Under the proposed rule, Tennessee would have won because the game would have ended due to the 10-second runoff before the field goal. The recommendation, and other proposals, must still be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel in April.
• bigkahuna

  I guess I never thought about it, but coaches just had to look at the jumbo tron on the score boards? Will the rest of the challenging rules be the same?
  
  I really don't think the celebration penalty will be THAT big of a deal because MOST players wait until they've scored to celebrate. We'll have to wait and see if they'll be expected to do absolutely nothing.
• Sykotyk

  

  bigk, a home team wouldn't show a controversial call that favors them on the jumbotron. But, would if it goes against them. That's the 'unfair' advantage. Plus, the jumbotron won't go into as much detail as a TV broadcast would seconds after the play was over.
• karen lotz

  

  Plus not every stadium has an eyesore (jumbotron).
• september63

  

  The original intent of the taunting rule was fine. The way the NCAA officials interpret this call is all over the board. A taunting penalty in one game is not a penalty with a different set of officials. (That needs fixed.)
• BORIStheCrusher

  

  Con_Alma;677864 wrote:
  *The big change in 2011 will be the taunting rule. This was previously approved last year. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties can now be live-ball fouls, meaning a touchdown would be nullified if a player is flagged for taunting before crossing the end zone. When a player commits unsportsmanlike behavior after crossing the goal line, the penalty will still be a dead-ball foul and the touchdown will count. Get ready for some player next season to become the poster boy of this new rule.

  Worst rule ever. Some kid is going to get excited because he's about to score the winning TD in the final seconds, and one ref will interpret it the wrong way and he will be flagged. Something like that can't give you an advantage or change the outcome, so I don't understand how you can be called back.
• Sonofanump

  For the most part, these are recommendations. The live ball USC will take place this year. They also might change blocking below the waist restrictions. The vote is in mid-April.
• karen lotz

  

  Sonofanump;678366 wrote:For the most part, these are recommendations. The live ball USC will take place this year. They also might change blocking below the waist restrictions. The vote is in mid-April.

  
  
  I did see that on another board. Something about making cut blocks illegal for players that line up more than 7 yards from the ball.
• darbypitcher22

  

  I don't like the run off rule or positioning the Umpire behind the LOS on the offensive side of the ball.... too much like the NFL
• Con_Alma

  karen lotz;678401 wrote:I did see that on another board. Something about making cut blocks illegal for players that line up more than 7 yards from the ball.

  
  Nope, not necessarily.
  
  These are the exceptions to blocking below the waist more than 7 yards from the line of scrimmage.
  
  -- Wide receivers more than 7 yards from the center at the snap of the ball can block below the waist only against a player facing him or toward the nearest sideline.
  
  -- Running backs/receivers in the backfield and outside the tackle box or players in motion can block below the waist only on players facing them or toward the nearest sideline.
• karen lotz

  

  Right, they are talking about making it illegal for a WR who lines up 7 yards off the ball to block down on an interior lineman/linebacker regardless if he is facing them or not.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  I'd have no problem with the taunting/unsportsmanship rules IF they were enforced in some uniform way. In the SEC, I saw players overtly taunting and showboating when scoring touchdowns and nothing got called -- but in the Big Ten, if a player even dived across the goal when there were players not immediately on top of him, it was called as a penalty.
  
  Either make the calls uniform or do away with the rule.
  
  I like the time runoff as an option on penalties at the end of the game.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  Oh I forgot to add that I wish they'd go back to the old clock rules that got changed last year or two years ago (I'm not sure) that ended up taking away about 20 plays per game.
  
  Stop the clock when players go out of bounds and don't start it until they run the next play. I don't like a running clock except for the last few minutes. It's too much like the NFL and I'd like to keep some things unique to college football.
• bases_loaded

  

  Sykotyk;678072 wrote:bigk, a home team wouldn't show a controversial call that favors them on the jumbotron. But, would if it goes against them. That's the 'unfair' advantage. Plus, the jumbotron won't go into as much detail as a TV broadcast would seconds after the play was over.

  
  Isn't that part of "home field advantage"?
• karen lotz

  

  bases_loaded;679243 wrote:Isn't that part of "home field advantage"?

  
  Is this a joke?
• vball10set

  karen lotz;678082 wrote:Plus not every stadium has an eyesore (jumbotron).

  
  they're only considered an eyesore by fans of teams who don't have them (but wish they did)
• bigkahuna

  
  
  So, would this run by Tate Forcier 2 years ago be a penalty?
• bases_loaded

  

  karen lotz;679266 wrote:Is this a joke?

  
  No? If you have a jumbotron and want to only show the controversial plays for YOUR team...thats just home field advantage.
• bigkahuna

  When I asked about the trons, I was asking about what the coaches did to decide whether or not to challenge a play. Are there monitors up in the booth, where an assistant can radio down to tell him to throw the flag? Is it simply a judgement call, or do they watch the replay board?
  
  Now, as I understand it, there will be monitors in the booth for everyone.
• se-alum

  

  darbypitcher22;678512 wrote:I don't like the run off rule or positioning the Umpire behind the LOS on the offensive side of the ball.... too much like the NFL

  The run off rule is the best of the bunch. You shouldn't be at an advantage when you commit a penalty.
• like_that

  

  BORIStheCrusher;678282 wrote:Worst rule ever. Some kid is going to get excited because he's about to score the winning TD in the final seconds, and one ref will interpret it the wrong way and he will be flagged. Something like that can't give you an advantage or change the outcome, so I don't understand how you can be called back.

  
  
  I agree. If the kid wants to look like a thug idiot, then let him look like a thug idiot. Taking away a touchdown is a complete joke. This isn't pop warner football.
• se-alum

  

  ccrunner609;682396 wrote:that 10 second rule sounds dumb

  Why? How is it fair that a team out of timeouts can stop the clock by getting a penalty. The reason for a penalty is to penalize the offending team.
• ts1227

  

  Writerbuckeye;679220 wrote:I'd have no problem with the taunting/unsportsmanship rules IF they were enforced in some uniform way. In the SEC, I saw players overtly taunting and showboating when scoring touchdowns and nothing got called -- but in the Big Ten, if a player even dived across the goal when there were players not immediately on top of him, it was called as a penalty.
  
  Either make the calls uniform or do away with the rule.
  
  I like the time runoff as an option on penalties at the end of the game.

  This is very true. I think the examples you gave are the 2 most extreme examples, but they prove the point well. The SEC doesn't give a shit, and the Big Ten is WAAAAY too concerned over it. I don't know how they can address it, but it needs to be.
• Sonofanump

  2011 RULES CHANGES AND MAJOR EDITORIAL CHANGES
  The rules changes proposed for 2011 are currently out for review during the 30-
  day comment period. They are subject to the approval of the Playing Rules Oversight
  Panel (PROP), which will meet in April. Changes approved in 2010 to take effect in 2011
  received final approval last year. Subject to the results of the comment period and the
  approval of PROP, here are the 2011 rules changes and major editorial changes.
  Example plays and commentary for all of these will be posted to the Central Hub from
  time to time over the next several weeks.
  Rogers Redding
  NCAA Secretary-Rules Editor
  March 1, 2011
  
  RULES CHANGES ADOPTED IN 2010 FOR 2011
  Unsportsmanlike Conduct
  When players commit unsportsmanlike conduct fouls the penalties are now
  administered by treating these fouls as live-ball or dead-ball fouls according to the
  status of the ball at the time the foul occurs. They are no longer always treated as dead-
  ball fouls. Unsportsmanlike conduct fouls by players now are treated just like all other
  fouls.
  
  Television Monitors in Press-Box Coaches’ Booths
  Rule 1-4-11
  Prohibited Field Equipment
  ARTICLE 11.
  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.
  
  Rule 6-1-10
  Illegal Wedge Formation
  ARTICLE 10.
  a. A wedge is defined as two or more players aligned shoulder to shoulder within two
  yards of each other.
  b. Free-kick down only: After the ball has been kicked, it is illegal for three or more
  members of the receiving team intentionally to form a wedge for the purpose of
  blocking for the ball carrier. This is a live-ball foul, whether or not there is contact
  between opponents.
  PENALTY—Noncontact foul. 15 yards, spot of the foul, or 15 yards, spot where the
  subsequent dead ball belongs to Team B if this is behind the spot of the foul. 15 yards,
  previous spot with the down repeated if the subsequent dead ball belongs to Team A.
  [S27]
  
  c. Formation of the wedge is not illegal when the kick is from an obvious onside kick
  formation.
  d. There is no foul if the play results in a touchback.
  
  Rule 12-3-5-c
  ARTICLE 5.
  c. Clock adjustment at the end of either half.
  If at the end of a half the game clock expires, either during a down in which it should be
  stopped by rule when the ball becomes dead or following the down upon a request for
  an available team timeout, the replay official may restore time only under these
  conditions:
  1. The replay official has indisputable video evidence that time should have
  remained on the game clock when the ball became dead or when the team timeout was
  granted;
  2. The team in possession when the ball became dead would next put the ball in
  play from scrimmage;
  3. In the fourth quarter only, either the score is tied or the team that will next
  snap the ball is behind by eight points or fewer; and
  4. The replay official’s video evidence includes the timeout signal by an official
  in the case where the game clock should have stopped for a requested team timeout.
  
  RULES CHANGES FOR 2011
  Rule 3-4-4 (New Article)
  10-Second Subtraction from Game Clock
  ARTICLE 4.
  a. With the game clock running and less than one minute remaining in either half, if a
  player of either team commits a foul that causes the clock to stop, the officials may
  subtract 10 seconds from the game clock at the option of the offended team. The fouls
  that fall in this category include but are not limited to:
  (1) Any foul that prevents the snap (e.g., false start, encroachment, defensive offside by
  contact in the neutral zone, etc.);
  (2) Intentional grounding to stop the clock;
  (3) Incomplete illegal forward pass;
  (4) Backward pass thrown out of bounds to stop the clock;
  (5) Any other foul committed with the intent of stopping the clock.
  The offended team may accept the yardage penalty and decline the 10-second
  subtraction. If the yardage penalty is declined the 10-second subtraction is declined by
  rule.
  b. The 10-second rule does not apply if the game clock is not running when the foul
  occurs or if the foul does not cause the game clock to stop (e.g., illegal formation).
  c. Following enforcement of the penalty and 10-second subtraction (if any) the game
  clock starts on the referee’s signal.
  d. If the fouling team has a timeout remaining it may avoid the 10-second subtraction by
  using a timeout. In this case the game clock starts on the snap following the timeout.
  
  Rule 6-3-14 (New article)
  Defensive Linemen on Place Kicks
  ARTICLE 14.
  If Team A is in a formation to attempt a place kick (field goal or try) it is illegal for three
  Team B players on their line of scrimmage inside the blocking zone to align shoulder-to-
  shoulder and move forward together after the snap.
  PENALTY: Live-ball foul. Five yards, previous spot. [S19]
  
  Rule 9-1-6 (Replaces current 9-1-2-e)
  Blocking Below the Waist
  ARTICLE 6.
  There shall be no blocking below the waist (Rule 2-3-2).
  Exceptions:
  1. Against the ball carrier.
  2. Before a change of possession on scrimmage downs that do not include kicks,
  blocking below the waist is allowed as follows:
  (a) Players of the offensive team who at the snap are
  (1) on the line of scrimmage more than seven yards from the middle lineman of
  the offensive formation, or
  (2) in the backfield outside the tackle box, or
  (3) in motion,
  may block below the waist only along a north-south line or toward the sideline adjacent
  to them at the snap.
  (b) Players of the offensive team who at the snap are inside the tackle box or on the line
  of scrimmage inside the seven-yard limit may block below the waist.
  (c) Players of the defensive team who at the snap are inside the blocking zone extended
  to the sideline may block below the waist inside that area until the blocking zone
  disintegrates (Rule 2-3-6-b).
  PENALTY: Administer as a Personal Foul
  
  Rule 9-1-7 (New Paragraph)
  Late Hit, Action Out of Bounds
  ARTICLE 7 c.
  It is illegal for any player to initiate a block against an opponent who is out of bounds.
  The spot of the foul is where the blocker crosses the sideline in going out of bounds.
  PENALTY: Administer as a Personal Foul
  
  
  MAJOR EDITORIAL CHANGES FOR 2011
  • Gloves may be of any color.
  
  • Any player may wear a towel.
  
  • A disqualified player must leave the playing enclosure and remain out of view of
  the field under team supervision for the duration of the game.
  
  • The game clock does not stop when the ball carrier’s helmet comes off.
  
  • The foul for twelve men on the field, whether a live-ball or dead-ball foul, carries
  a 5-yard penalty.
  
  • After the ball is ready for play and before the snap, if the offense never has all
  eleven players set for a full second, it is a false start (dead-ball foul). If they
  become set and then make an illegal shift without re-setting before the snap it is
  a live-ball foul at the snap.
  
  • For Team A to avoid a foul for intentional grounding it is no longer required that
  a receiver have a reasonable opportunity to catch the pass. He must only be in
  the area.
  
  • Penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct by Team B include an automatic first
  down.
  
  • Fifteen-yard penalties are reserved for personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct
  fouls and pass interference.