Earlier this month, the Pac-12 was one of two Power 5 leagues to announce it was moving to a conference-only season this fall. The Pac-12 is one of several conference nationwide to announce that scholarships will be honored should players decide to sit out the 2020 fall sports season.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports continues to be our number one priority,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott in a release. “Our decisions have and will be guided by science and data, and based upon the trends and indicators over the past days, it has become clear that we need to provide ourselves with maximum flexibility to schedule, and to delay any movement to the next phase of return-to-play activities.”
The SEC, ACC and Big 12 haven’t yet announced their plans for the 2020 season and are reportedly working together to “save” their non-conference schedules.
The new rule changes in college football you need to know
Rules are meant to be bent.
They’re also meant to be changed.
College football made a slew of changes in the offseason heading into the 2020-21 season, and with the discussions and decisions are several rules that would have affected the outcomes of games in previous seasons, particularly in big-time rivalry games near the end of the season.
As a refresher, 247Sports examined the rule changes (along with new rules) to provide a refresher course for fans before the start of the 2020-21 season.
These rules were approved by the NCAA Football Rules Committee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel in April, and were written by Steve Shaw, the rules editor for the NCAA Football Rules Committee.
Check out the 11 changes and additions to the lengthy college football rulebook and how they will affect the future (and could have affected past games):
Certain ejected players allowed on sidelines
Players who are charged with targeting and are ejected from the game will be able to remain on the sidelines. Players were previously forced to leave the sidelines for the locker room, where they had to watch the remainder of the game on television.
Players ejected for targeting in the second half can remain on the sideline through the end of the game and may also participate in pre-game, warm-up activities at the next game, though they will remain suspended from playing through the first half and can remain on the sideline interacting with teammates.
New penalties requiring ejection
Players charged with fighting, two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls or flagrant personal fouls are reclassified as fouls requiring ejection. Those players will not be allowed to stay on the sideline after ejection and must “remain out of view of the field of play under team supervision,” according to the NCAA Football Rules Committee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
New pre-game warmup requirements
All players’ jersey numbers must be visible during pre-game warmups and an assistant coach or the head coach must be on the field during warmups before team captains or escorted to the field for the coin toss. This could drastically change the game-day routines for kickers and punters, who usually warm up on the field well before other teammates and do so, sometimes, without their jerseys. Assistant coaches are also usually in the locker room two hours before the game, leaving team managers to help with kickers. Kickers will now be required to be supervised by an assistant coach. If a player’s jersey number is not visible or an assistant coach is not guiding their warmup, they must leave the playing field.
Florida coach Dan Mullen is notorious for allowing his players to not wear jerseys during pre-game warmups in an effort to hide injured players and personnel lineups from opposing coaches.
Relaxing the defensive substitution rule
Defenses will be allowed to have 12 or more men on the field “to anticipate the offensive formation,” but must have 11 players on the field when the ball is snapped. The rule change is a direct result of a trick formation in the Alabama-Auburn rivalry in which Auburn lined up its quarterback at punter and its punter at receiver on fourth down late in a close game. Alabama kept 12 men on the field trying to substitute players before the snap and were charged with a foul, resulting in a first down for Auburn, which was able to ice the game on the ensuing set of downs.
Protection for long snappers
Defenders are not allowed to line up within the body frame of a long snapper when within one yard of the line of scrimmage. Defensive players may not initiate contact with the longer snapper until 1 second has passed after the snap. The rule Is meant to “enhance the protection” of snappers, according to the NCAA.
Limiting duplicate numbers
No more than two team members may be assigned the same jersey number. There previously was not a limit to duplicate numbers. Such a violation will be for unsportsmanlike conduct against the head coach. Players will be required to immediately change jersey numbers.
Penalty carry-overs
All penalties at the end of a half will have the option to be carried to the ensuing kickoff and to the succeeding spot in overtime.
Extended jurisdiction for officials
Game officials will now oversee all action on the playing surface 90 minutes before kickoff. Official were previously in charge starting at 60 minutes before the kickoff. At least three officials will be on the field 90 minutes before kickoff. Also, all officials must be on the field 40 minutes before kickoff.
The usual buffer zone near midfield separating the two teams as they warm up before the game will begin “no later than 40 minutes before kickoff,” according to the NCAA. It’s believed the time extension will curb extracurricular activities and arguments between teams during warm-ups.
Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden threw a punch at a Virginia Tech player before warmups of the Belk Bowl in December, but because the altercation occurred outside the 60-minute rule, he was not ejected and was allowed to play.
The Nick Saban Rule
Another controversial play in the Iron Bowl last season resulted in a change in the NCAA rulebook. If a clock expires at the end of a half, but replay shows there is time remaining on the clock, there must be at least 3 seconds remaining on the clock for a play to be run if the clock is running upon the referee’s whistle.
If the clock is running and it is determined 2 seconds or less remain on the running clock, the half is over. If the clock is stopped, however, and more time is added to the clock after a run out of bounds or an incomplete pass, a play with 2 seconds or less remaining after replay review will be allowed to be conducted.
A similar review before halftime last season in the Iron Bowl determined 1 second was remaining on the clock following a running-clock play by Auburn. Auburn was allowed to snap the ball quickly and kick a 52-yard field as time expired before halftime. Alabama coach Nick Saban argued against the ability of a ball to be snapped in less than 1 second upon a ref’s whistle with a running clock. His argument fell on deaf ears — until the NCAA considered new rules in the offseason.
Auburn went on to beat Alabama 48-45. The rule change in April led to a sarcastic tweet from Auburn coach Gus Malzahn directed at his rival.
“Interesting rule change,” he tweeted, with two emojis of a person rubbing their chin.
Replay reviews shortened
Think of this as more of a guideline rather than a rule. Instant replay officials are expected to conduct and complete their reviews in 2 minutes or less starting with the 2020 college football season. There is one caveat: “if the review has end-of-game impact or has multiple aspects as a part of the review, it should be completed efficiently but will have no stated time limit.”
New number allowed on jerseys
Players will be allowed to wear “0” as their jersey number starting this season. The number was previously illegal. Players, however, will not be allowed to wear double-digit numbers with zero proceeding the second number (example: 01 or 00).
Uniform violations
Two players wearing the same jersey number on the field at the same time is still illegal, and so are vests or altered jerseys (velcro, clasps, fasteners). Violation of these rules will result in a 15-yard penalty after the kickoff of each half and a loss of a timeout in each quarter an illegal jersey is worn by a player.
All supposition at this point, but if we play that’s wazzup.
