NCAA rule change approved on faking injuries

[Buffnik]

NCAA changes TO rules to combat fake injuries

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved changes to the injury timeout rules in an effort to curtail players faking injuries.

www.espn.com

Under the new rule approved Wednesday, if medical personnel enter the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, that player's team will be charged a timeout. If the team doesn't have any timeouts remaining, a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty will be assessed.

The proposal to adjust the injury timeout rule resulted from teams faking injuries to stop their opponents' momentum or avoid using an allotted timeout.

Some other minor rules tweaks included in the article.

 

[GRM]

NCAA changes TO rules to combat fake injuries

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved changes to the injury timeout rules in an effort to curtail players faking injuries.

www.espn.com

Under the new rule approved Wednesday, if medical personnel enter the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, that player's team will be charged a timeout. If the team doesn't have any timeouts remaining, a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty will be assessed.

The proposal to adjust the injury timeout rule resulted from teams faking injuries to stop their opponents' momentum or avoid using an allotted timeout.

Some other minor rules tweaks included in the article.

That rule change helps. Timeouts are valuable, so this should end much of the faking. I am a bit surprised that they did not make it just the last 4-5 mins of 2nd or 4th Q, thus last year's study probably yielded much more faking going on than I thought. After the ball is spotted does make sense for the high tempo offenses. A potential drawback is what happens if it is an extremely hot & humid day--cramping is always an issue; so there may be a game here or there that the refs need some leeway for player protection purposes. We would not want to see a heat stroke.

An alternative that they could have done is throw out the injured player for the remainder of the series, however that would be tough for the refs to track during chaotic endings of games. Overall, I think this should work.

 

[Not Sure]

Remember the KSU game where they had an "injury" on seemingly every play? I think this is a move in the right direction.

 

[BuffLuke80]

All I got to say is, about fvcking time. Let's see if they enforce it.

 

[AeroBuff99]

• No offensive player can be in the direct line of the snap to the potential kicker or within the frame of the snapper on punts for the formation to qualify as a scrimmage kick formation. If a team is not in scrimmage kick formation, it must have five players numbered 50 through 79 on the line of scrimmage. Additionally, if the snapper is on the end of the line by formation, the snapper will lose scrimmage kick protection, and the opposition can line a player over the snapper.

• If any player on a kickoff return team makes a "T" signal with his arms during the kick, the team gives up the right to return the kick, and the play will be whistled dead.

The first one above will prevent fakes where a wing goes in motion and stops to take the snap on a sneak, otherwise there really isn't a point to the rule. Must have been teams taking advantage of no coverage on the snapper in order to get an easy yard or two.

The second one was in direct response to the controversy last season in the South Carolina v. Illinois Citrus Bowl. Kind of like how when that one QB did the knee dip to simulate starting to take a slide and as soon as the defender let up, make a juke move and kept running. I hate it when rules have to be made to explicitly make something illegal when there has always been the unfair acts rule 9.2.3.c which prohibits "an obviously unfair act not specifically covered by the rules during the game." Either of those two situations could have been handled by the officials immediately by throwing a flag and issuing a 15 yd penalty.

 

[Johnny Tarr]

Lane Kiffin does not approve

 

[BuffWarHog]

I like the timeout rule. Had it been in effect, I think GT takes out Clemson

I also like getting rid of “confirmed” on instant replay. I don’t know why that bothered me so much, but it aso****inglutely did.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

That rule change helps. Timeouts are valuable, so this should end much of the faking. I am a bit surprised that they did not make it just the last 4-5 mins of 2nd or 4th Q, thus last year's study probably yielded much more faking going on than I thought. After the ball is spotted does make sense for the high tempo offenses. A potential drawback is what happens if it is an extremely hot & humid day--cramping is always an issue; so there may be a game here or there that the refs need some leeway for player protection purposes. We would not want to see a heat stroke.

An alternative that they could have done is throw out the injured player for the remainder of the series, however that would be tough for the refs to track during chaotic endings of games. Overall, I think this should work.

The problem here is teams can still get away with faking if they just do it before the ball gets spotted. Having a player who goes down sit out for the rest of the series makes the most sense so of course that's why they didn't do that. But at least it's something, a step in the right direction as @Not Sure said

 

[85alum]

I like the fact they're addressing it, even if the solution isn't perfect. The KSU series was a joke.

But I'd also like to see a rules change regarding substitutions: how a defense substitution can lollygag getting out on the field after a substitution on offense and causing the offense to get a delay of game penalty. Has this been addressed, or are there plans to do so?

 

[Buffnik]

I like the fact they're addressing it, even if the solution isn't perfect. The KSU series was a joke.

But I'd also like to see a rules change regarding substitutions: how a defense substitution can lollygag getting out on the field after a substitution on offense and causing the offense to get a delay of game penalty. Has this been addressed, or are there plans to do so?

That's on the offense, though. They can't play games like they used to by substituting and not giving the defense time to make a counter substitution. Maybe they could shorten the response time allowed, but I don't want to see things go back to Kelly's Oregon offense that was a massive rules exploit.

 

[GRM]

I like the fact they're addressing it, even if the solution isn't perfect. The KSU series was a joke.

But I'd also like to see a rules change regarding substitutions: how a defense substitution can lollygag getting out on the field after a substitution on offense and causing the offense to get a delay of game penalty. Has this been addressed, or are there plans to do so?

I think the D rule is there, it could be a ref enforcement issue in certain games. The D gets so much time after the O players leave the field to make their substitution. Once that time is up, the O can snap the ball--if the D has 10 on the field they play with 10; if 12 it should be "too many men"/illegal substitution. Refs may fudge the Def guy departing some if not completely off the field, but intent to leave and almost to sideline--this is sort of like hockey subs.

I have seen a couple instances where the O is slower making their substitutions, the D properly subs but the snap clock just has a few ticks left.

Edit: @MtnBuff--thanks for laying out the actual rule. I did not have it handy. It think it works.

 

[MtnBuff]

I think the D rule is there, it could be a ref enforcement issue in certain games. The D gets so much time after the O players leave the field to make their substitution. Once that time is up, the O can snap the ball--if the D has 10 on the field they play with 10; if 12 it should be "too many men"/illegal substitution. Refs may fudge the Def guy departing some if not completely off the field, but intent to leave and almost to sideline--this is sort of like hockey subs.

I have seen a couple instances where the O is slower making their substitutions, the D properly subs but the snap clock just has a few ticks left.

The substitution rule isn't that hard. Simply set a specific point on the play clock, say with 20 or 25 seconds left. If the offense has completed it's substitutions by this point (new players on the field of play, leaving players off the field of play) then the officials will only hold play for a maximum of 15 additional seconds meaning the offense can snap the ball inside of 5 or 10 seconds regardless of if the defense has completed it's changes. If the defense still has more than 11 on the field it's an illegal substitition foul on them, if a defensive player is on the other side of the LOS an offsides.

Make and enforce the rule and coaches will adjust, they always do.

 

[patebuff]

The problem here is teams can still get away with faking if they just do it before the ball gets spotted. Having a player who goes down sit out for the rest of the series makes the most sense so of course that's why they didn't do that. But at least it's something, a step in the right direction as @Not Sure said

This is a start. I assume they'll revise after a few years, and teams find out ways to skirt the rule.

 

[Birch1]

All I got to say is, about fvcking time. Let's see if they enforce it.

Now if we can just get that peace sign taunting rule thrown out things might be looking good!

 

[buff4bcs1985]

I'd rather see the players be forced to be removed for the remainder of the series/quarter rather than cost a time out because I could see teams be erroneously punished for real injuries... but i like the delay of game penalty portion of the rule

 

[manhattanbuff]

NCAA changes TO rules to combat fake injuries

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved changes to the injury timeout rules in an effort to curtail players faking injuries.

www.espn.com

Under the new rule approved Wednesday, if medical personnel enter the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, that player's team will be charged a timeout. If the team doesn't have any timeouts remaining, a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty will be assessed.

The proposal to adjust the injury timeout rule resulted from teams faking injuries to stop their opponents' momentum or avoid using an allotted timeout.

Some other minor rules tweaks included in the article.

The kjsu game goes differently if this was a rule last year…

 

[Not Sure]

The kjsu game goes differently if this was a rule last year…

As does the Miami game.

 

[DBT]

All I got to say is, about fvcking time. Let's see if they enforce it.

They HAVE to enforce it. The way I read it, this isn’t a subjective decision.

That said, the rule reads “after the ball is placed.” So I could see a guy “going down” immediately at the end of a play BEFORE the refs place the ball.

 

[Buffnik]

They HAVE to enforce it. The way I read it, this isn’t a subjective decision.

That said, the rule reads “after the ball is placed.” So I could see a guy “going down” immediately at the end of a play BEFORE the refs place the ball.

I think it had to be written that way. You don't want to penalize a team because a player went down with injury during the previous play.

 

[Alfred91]

That rule change helps. Timeouts are valuable, so this should end much of the faking. I am a bit surprised that they did not make it just the last 4-5 mins of 2nd or 4th Q, thus last year's study probably yielded much more faking going on than I thought. After the ball is spotted does make sense for the high tempo offenses. A potential drawback is what happens if it is an extremely hot & humid day--cramping is always an issue; so there may be a game here or there that the refs need some leeway for player protection purposes. We would not want to see a heat stroke.

An alternative that they could have done is throw out the injured player for the remainder of the series, however that would be tough for the refs to track during chaotic endings of games. Overall, I think this should work.

As @Not Sure pointed out, KSU did it all game whenever we had a big play, not only in the last few minutes of the half. They were doing it to stop us from going fast, not just to extend the game. **** like that is why you have to have the rule apply all four quarters.

 

[skibum]

I'm in the camp that would have liked to see "if medical personnel come out on the field, the player they attend must leave the game for the remainder of that defensive series or until the next defensive time out."

I think that would have been enough to stop nearly all of the abuse. Try it for year and see.

If it's not, then you go to the automatic TO or delay of game penalty.

Regardless, I'm glad they actually did something, even if it's not what I would have preferred to see.

 

[Buffnik]

I'm in the camp that would have liked to see "if medical personnel come out on the field, the player they attend must leave the game for the remainder of that defensive series or until the next defensive time out."

I think that would have been enough to stop nearly all of the abuse. Try it for year and see.

If it's not, then you go to the automatic TO or delay of game penalty.

Regardless, I'm glad they actually did something, even if it's not what I would have preferred to see.

I agree. Although I think it should be both removal for the rest of the drive and a DOG penalty. There were a couple times last year I saw a coach run a defensive sub onto the field to just fall down to delay the game. Who cares if he can't return? That's not a deterrent.

 

[skibum]

I agree. Although I think it should be both removal for the rest of the drive and a DOG penalty. There were a couple times last year I saw a coach run a defensive sub onto the field to just fall down to delay the game. Who cares if he can't return? That's not a deterrent.

To me, that would be a candidate for an unsportsmanlike penalty on the coach.

Honestly, if I were a commissioner and saw that happen in a game, I would have instructed the refs to do just that, and made a press release announcing it.