The 2016 college football season will look slightly different than in years past. No, the sport isn't abandoning its "amateurism" label or anything dramatic like that. Rather, college football, as it does every year, is getting a handful of new rules.
The National Football Foundation did everyone a solid by summarizing all of the new rules in layman's terms, but we've taken it a step further by explaining what some of the major rule changes would mean for your team, as well as citing examples in applicable situations.
As you'll notice, some of the new rules are extensions of previous ones that were already in place, with the goal of closing up loopholes or tightening definitions. Others introduce broader interpretations of a pre-existing rule.
Here are 10 major rule changes for the 2016 college football season, and what you should know about each.
1. Blocking below the waist. Offensive players who are outside the tackle box at the snap, and those who leave the tackle box after the snap, may only block an opponent below the waist if the force of the initial contact is directly at the opponent's front. However, they may not block an opponent below the waist in a direction toward the original position of the ball unless the ball carrier has clearly crossed the line of scrimmage.
What you need to know: Players aren't allowed to cut someone off from the side or from behind when they're outside the tackle box. It's an extra safety measure.
2. Input from a medical examiner. In 2015, the committee approved an experimental rule that allows the Instant Replay official to interrupt a game at the request of a medical observer. This was to take care of the situation where the medical observer saw that a player had been injured on the field, but neither the officials nor the sideline personnel noticed this and therefore had not stopped the game. The committee received indications from a number of institutions that showed that this was a very successful experiment in 2015. So, for 2016 the committee has approved this as a permanent rule change.
What you need to know: It's just another safety precaution for players that should be a permanent rule.
3. Low Hits on the Passer. This rule that protects the passer is clarified that the tackler may not legally make forcible contact against the passer at the knee or below, even if he is making a wrap-up tackle.
What you need to know: Call it the Tom Brady rule. Defenders can't even form tackle if it's at or below the knee. Hit a quarterback low and you're going to get flagged. Defensive folks won't like it, but that's the direction football is going.
4. Outcome of a suspended game. If the teams are in the same conference, conference policy dictates the outcome. However, if the teams are in different conferences, the current rule requires that the athletics directors of the teams agree on an outcome. Until this year, the rules were silent on what happens if the two ADs can't agree. The 2016 change says that in this event, the policy of the home team's conference is used to determine the outcome.
What you need to know: This is tightening up a loophole to ensure there's a resolution for any suspended or cancelled games.
Example: Florida's season-opening game against Idaho in 2014 was initially delayed due to weather. Ultimately, it was cancelled. If, however, Florida and Idaho were unable to reach a conclusion on this, the SEC's policy on suspended games would have been used.
5. Sliding ball carrier: defenseless player. There are several situations where a player is considered "defenseless" for purposes of the targeting rule. Examples include a pass receiver who is concentrating on catching the ball and a kick-return man awaiting a punt. This year, the committee added the ball carrier who has "obviously given himself up and is sliding feet-first."
What you need to know: This isn't exclusive to quarterbacks, but they're the first player you think of in these situations. Basically, if a quarterback is sliding, he's "giving himself up" and a hit on him will be considered targeting.
Example: Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel vs. Memphis
6. Game clock in the last two minutes. Under most circumstances, if the game clock is stopped because of a penalty, it starts when the referee gives the "ready-for-play" signal after completing the penalty. This year, the committee passed a rule that takes effect inside two minutes in the half. This new rule requires that the clock be started on the snap if the team ahead in the score commits a foul. Under the current rule, the clock would be started on the ready-for-play signal, allowing the fouling team the chance to gain a time advantage by running perhaps 20 or more seconds off the game clock. The new rule prevents this.
What you need to know: This gives a referee broader authority to ensure a winning team isn't gaming the clock and wasting time in the final two minutes. The exception will be the 10-second runoff.
7. Targeting: an expanded role for instant replay. Up to this point, the replay official's role has been to verify whether the forcible contact was with the crown of the helmet or was struck at the head or neck area of a defenseless player. Now as part of the review, the replay official is directed to examine all elements of the ruling made by the official on the field, not only the location of the forcible contact. In addition, the replay official is empowered to "create" a foul if he sees an obvious and egregious targeting action that the officials on the field miss.
What you need to know: If you didn't like the targeting rule before, you're going to hate it now. In addition to broader interpretations of targeting by the officials -- experimental collaborative replay (see below) will be a part of this -- it's now possible for a replay official to call a foul even if none was called on the field. Be prepared for that.
Example: Former West Virginia safety Karl Joseph's hit on Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook in 2015. The hit was not called for targeting, but Big 12 coordinator of officials Walt Anderson later said it should have been.
8. Tripping the ball carrier. For a number of years, it has been illegal for a player to stick out his foot or leg to trip an opponent, but it was legal to do this to the ball carrier. Because of leg injuries to runners over the past couple years, the committee now has made it illegal to trip any opponent, including the ball carrier.
What you need to know: This is self-explanatory. If Duke basketball player Grayson Allen played college football, he'd be a repeat offender.
9. Unsportsmanlike conduct by a coach. The rules committee believes that as teachers and adult leaders of young athletes playing football, coaches should be held to a high standard of behavior appropriate to such a responsible position. Thus, starting in 2016, the rule will be that a coach who commits two fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct will be disqualified from the game. He must leave the playing field before the ball is next put into play, and he must remain out of view of the playing field for the remainder of the game.
What you need to know: Whereas coaches would be ejected after two technical fouls in college basketball, no such rule existed for football. That's officially been changed. In other words, hot-head coaches need to cool it.
Example: Bo Pelini has had his fair share of epic run-ins with officials over the years, but last year's game between Youngstown State and North Dakota State is a good example. In the final minute, Pelini drew two unsportsmanlike penalties. In that instance, he just hurt his team's field position. But if that occurred this year, Pelini would be gone.
10. Experimental rule: collaboration in instant replay. This means that the replay official will be in communication with observers who are watching the game on television at a site other than the instant replay booth. The replay official will be in consultation with the remote observers while reviewing a play. The purpose is to allow for a second observer in addition to this replay official to assist in making the decisions about a review.
What you need to know: Our own Jon Solomon about how this will work back in June, but the primary goal is to minimize the inconsistencies in subjective calls, such as targeting. The challenge, of course, is to take this extra step without further stalling the flow of a game or achieving paralysis by analysis (i.e. having too many cooks in the kitchen). Since it is an experimental rule, it is not required by all conferences. However, the ACC and SEC have adopted it for 2016.
Example: The SEC tested collaborative replay during Alabama's spring game.
