[WarTiger]

Quote

Committee recommends several football rules proposals to enhance safety

By Ty Halpin
NCAA.org

The NCAA Football Rules Committee, which met Tuesday-Thursday in Charlotte, N.C., has recommended several rules proposals intended to enhance student-athlete safety for the 2012 season. Even though it is a non-rules change year as part of the two-year cycle process, these rule changes can be proposed for immediate implementation because they directly impact student-athlete safety.

“In all of our proposals, we are continuing the annual effort to find ways to make our game safer where we can,” said Scot Dapp, chair of the committee and athletics director at Moravian College. “Without question, these changes will enhance student-athlete safety and we feel very comfortable based on the data we collected that the impact will be significant.”

The proposed changes include:
•Kickoff and Touchback Starting Lines Moved. The committee voted to move the kickoff to the 35-yard line (currently set at the 30-yard line), and to require that kicking team players must be no further than five yards from the 35 at the kick, which is intended to limit the running start kicking teams have during the play. The committee also voted to move the touchback distance on free kicks to the 25-yard line instead of the 20-yard line to encourage more touchbacks. NCAA data indicates injuries during kickoffs occur more often than in other phases of the game.

•Loss of Helmet During Play. If a player loses his helmet (other than as the result of a foul by the opponent, like a facemask), it will be treated like an injury. The player must leave the game and is not allowed to participate for the next play. Current injury timeout rules guard against using this rule to gain an advantage from stopping the clock. Additionally, if a player loses his helmet, he must not continue to participate in play to protect him from injury. Data collected during the 2011 season indicated that helmets came off of players more than two times per game.

•Blocking Below the Waist. The intent of the changes made last season were to only allow blocking below the waist when the opposing player is likely to be prepared for this contact, but the opposite impact was discovered in some cases. To clarify the intent, the committee approved wording that essentially allows offensive players in the tackle box at the snap that are not in motion to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with a few exceptions (e.g. straight ahead blocks).

•Shield Blocking Scheme on Punting Plays. The committee reviewed several examples of shield blocking, which has become a popular blocking scheme for punting teams. In several cases, a receiving team player attempts to jump over this type of scheme in the backfield to block a punt. In some cases, these players are contacted and end up flipping in the air and landing on their head or shoulders. The committee is extremely concerned about this type of action and proposed a rule similar to the leaping rule on place kicks that does not allow the receiving team to jump over blockers, unless the player jumps straight up or between two players.

•Additional Protection to Kick Returner. Through officiating interpretation, the committee approved a recommendation to provide a kick returner additional protection to complete a catch before allowing contact by the kicking team.


All rules change recommendations must be approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which meets via conference call Feb. 21. The proposals will first be sent to the NCAA membership for comment.

The only ones I don't like are moving the kickoff back to the 35 (where it used to be) and I certainly don't like moving the touchback spot to the 25.

The last one I don't really understand what they are talking about. The rule as its written already protects the receiver until he completes the catch, and that's even after he muffs it and it remains in flight. Even then, the opponent must give him an opportunity to complete the catch. Until this rule is adopted and put in the book, its difficult to see what they could possibly change in that rule to protect the receivers any more than they already are.

[banditmwp]

I agree. Leave the kickoffs alone. It's kind of like a what happened at GM in the years leading up to the bailout...too much meddling with something that is working.


Besides, if you put the place on the 35, Parkey will be putting it in the students' section on kickoffs anyway.

[TrumanCrockett]

Not the kickoffs!!! So much for exciting kickoff returns...

[Auburnfan91]

I disagree about the kickoffs. I liked it when the kickoffs were at the 35. I thought it was dumb to move it the 30 yard line in the first place. Now it looks even dumber since the NFL moved their kickoffs back to the 35.

I do agree that the touchbacks should stay at the 20 yard line.

This post has been edited by Auburnfan91: 09 February 2012 - 09:56 PM

[WarTiger]

Auburnfan91, on 09 February 2012 - 09:56 PM, said:

I disagree about the kickoffs. I liked it when the kickoffs were at the 35. I thought it was dumb to move it the 30 yard line in the first place. Now it looks even dumber since the NFL moved their kickoffs back to the 35.

I do agree that the touchbacks should stay at the 20 yard line.

I agree for the most part. It was stupid, until we got Parkey. Now that we have him, let's just leave it where it is for now. As long as Parkey is at Auburn, he's going to get touchbacks more often than not whether its at the 30 or 35. It really shows how strong a leg Parkey has.

[cptau]

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

[nanatiger]

cptau, on 10 February 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

I know you're being facetious, but don't give them any ideas!

[dyehardaufan]

Next rule recommendation is to but flags on players....

Injuries are a part of the game and football is suppose to be a collision sport and I'm tired of the pussification of football and America. Kids have a choice to play the game or not and know the consequences. Pretty soon it will look like 7 on 7 flag football.

[WarTiger]

nanatiger, on 10 February 2012 - 06:55 AM, said:

cptau, on 10 February 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

I know you're being facetious, but don't give them any ideas!

Actually former Rutgers coach (and current Tampa Bay head coach) Greg Schiano was campaigning a few years ago to do this very thing. At the time he advocated eliminating all kick offs because of the serious and permanent injury to Eric Legrand a few years ago while covering a free kick. I'm not sure if he still feels the same way or not, but he was advocating the change pretty hard not to long ago. Believe me, its not something new or foreign to the NCAA.

[tigertail07]

I don't like the helmet rule. When I played I had my helmet knocked clean off a time or two and would strap it back on quickly to whatever snaps didn't break and play the next play. Imagine a situation where we are driving the field for the win I.E. against Oregon and dyers helmet comes off the play before his big run. It takes him off the field for a play... Also imagine if your starting qbs helmet comes off and the next down is 3 and 10. Why not just allow the player to secure the helmet and keep going

[tigertail07]

WarTiger, on 10 February 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

nanatiger, on 10 February 2012 - 06:55 AM, said:

cptau, on 10 February 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

I know you're being facetious, but don't give them any ideas!

Actually former Rutgers coach (and current Tampa Bay head coach) Greg Schiano was campaigning a few years ago to do this very thing. At the time he advocated eliminating all kick offs because of the serious and permanent injury to Eric Legrand a few years ago while covering a free kick. I'm not sure if he still feels the same way or not, but he was advocating the change pretty hard not to long ago. Believe me, its not something new or foreign to the NCAA.

Here's an idea and I mean this with no disrespect... Don't drop your head on tackles. I realize it still happens every now and then but if that's a problem to the student athlete then don't play the game.

[mcgufcm]

I don't mind moving kickoffs back to the 35. I completely understand why they want to move the touchback line up to the 25. All you have to do is watch the NFL for about two games, and you'll see why they want to make that change. Moving the touchback line forward gives extra incentive to just down the ball when you catch it in the endzone.

In the NFL, they've basically done statistical studies that show there is almost no difference between a drive starting at the 15 v. a drive starting at the 20. Why does that matter? If you're starting from 5-6 yards deep in the endzone and running straight ahead, you're rarely going to end up worse than the 15, but you have good odds of doing better than the 20. The result? Dudes started returning kicks from 6 yards deep more and more often because the risk (starting position worse than the 20) was far outweighed by the reward (better than the 20). Moving the touchback line is the only way to affect that calculation. If your motive for moving the kickoff to the 35 is to prevent returns, I think you have to move the touchback line forward as well.

The loss of a helmet rule is a little odd. Why does a dude need to sit a play when his hat comes off? Just buckle the dang strap before the start of the next play. Odd rule.

[WarTiger]

tigertail07, on 10 February 2012 - 09:15 AM, said:

WarTiger, on 10 February 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

nanatiger, on 10 February 2012 - 06:55 AM, said:

cptau, on 10 February 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

I know you're being facetious, but don't give them any ideas!

Actually former Rutgers coach (and current Tampa Bay head coach) Greg Schiano was campaigning a few years ago to do this very thing. At the time he advocated eliminating all kick offs because of the serious and permanent injury to Eric Legrand a few years ago while covering a free kick. I'm not sure if he still feels the same way or not, but he was advocating the change pretty hard not to long ago. Believe me, its not something new or foreign to the NCAA.

Here's an idea and I mean this with no disrespect... Don't drop your head on tackles. I realize it still happens every now and then but if that's a problem to the student athlete then don't play the game.

I'm not quite sure why you made this post in response to mine. There is nowhere in that post where I supported Schiano's stance or opposed his stance. I merely gave the information. Apparently you read something in my post that wasn't there...

[TheDrewYouKnew]

I believe the helmet rule is to encourage the players to fasten their correctly sized helmets properly so that they dont constantly come off.

[tigertail07]

WarTiger, on 10 February 2012 - 09:45 AM, said:

tigertail07, on 10 February 2012 - 09:15 AM, said:

WarTiger, on 10 February 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

nanatiger, on 10 February 2012 - 06:55 AM, said:

cptau, on 10 February 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

Amazing, the NCAA moves the kickoff from the 35 back to 30 to in courage more run back attempts. Now they see there are more injuries. They should have left well enough alone. It could be worse. They could just give the other team possession on the 25 yard line with no kicks or punts involved.

I know you're being facetious, but don't give them any ideas!

Actually former Rutgers coach (and current Tampa Bay head coach) Greg Schiano was campaigning a few years ago to do this very thing. At the time he advocated eliminating all kick offs because of the serious and permanent injury to Eric Legrand a few years ago while covering a free kick. I'm not sure if he still feels the same way or not, but he was advocating the change pretty hard not to long ago. Believe me, its not something new or foreign to the NCAA.

Here's an idea and I mean this with no disrespect... Don't drop your head on tackles. I realize it still happens every now and then but if that's a problem to the student athlete then don't play the game.

I'm not quite sure why you made this post in response to mine. There is nowhere in that post where I supported Schiano's stance or opposed his stance. I merely gave the information. Apparently you read something in my post that wasn't there...

My response was directed towards Schiano''s stance on the kickoff situation. Since you mentioned it I used your information to respond. Meant nothing towards you my friend