NCAAbbs

I don't recall seeing a thread on this subject before, but this AP story in the Chronicle a few days ago outlines some of the NCAA's more important new football rules, which I thought this board's readers would like to know about:

Horse-collar tackles -- when a runner is yanked to the ground from the inside collar of his shoulder pads or jersey -- will be penalized. "If the ball carrier is grabbed by the shoulder or jersey and just ridden to the ground over a couple of yards, that's not going to be a foul.''
A 40-second play clock will start as soon as the ball is ruled dead. Previously, a 25-second clock began only on the referee's signal.
The chop block will now be defined as any high-low combination block by any two players against an opponent other than the runner, anywhere on the field, anytime in the game and with or without a delay between the hits.
New clock procedure after a runner goes out of bounds: Except during the final two minutes of each half, the game clock will be restarted on the referee's signal, rather than when the ball is snapped.

The NCAA also will emphasize consistency in officiating, including blending crews from different conferences.

Finally, a short DVD video on proper injury-prevention tackling techniques to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact has been developed by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. "It's been distributed to every college in the nation, and we encourage every football program to show this to the student-athletes.''

I find the clock procedure for out-of-bounds play the most intriguing from a strategerical perspective...

Almadenmike Wrote:

Horse-collar tackles -- when a runner is yanked to the ground from the inside collar of his shoulder pads or jersey -- will be penalized. "If the ball carrier is grabbed by the shoulder or jersey and just ridden to the ground over a couple of yards, that's not going to be a foul.''

I saw way too many of these at Rice games last year. I'm glad it's finally a penalty.

The chop block rule worries me. Seems to me like the kind of rule that can be called at any time...

Quote:

The chop block will now be defined as any high-low combination block by any two players against an opponent other than the runner, anywhere on the field, anytime in the game and with or without a delay between the hits.

So a lineman goes high... the defender gets past him, the running back cuts him... flag.

UT Ceng Owl Wrote:

Almadenmike Wrote:

Horse-collar tackles -- when a runner is yanked to the ground from the inside collar of his shoulder pads or jersey -- will be penalized. "If the ball carrier is grabbed by the shoulder or jersey and just ridden to the ground over a couple of yards, that's not going to be a foul.''

I saw way too many of these at Rice games last year. I'm glad it's finally a penalty.

agreed. i thought it was absurd that the NFL banned them for being too dangerous yet the NCAA still allowed them for a few years.

Hambone10 Wrote:

The chop block rule worries me. Seems to me like the kind of rule that can be called at any time...

Quote:

The chop block will now be defined as any high-low combination block by any two players against an opponent other than the runner, anywhere on the field, anytime in the game and with or without a delay between the hits.

So a lineman goes high... the defender gets past him, the running back cuts him... flag.

This definition is confusing, but it is exactly as the NCAA released its summary of changes. Horrible wording.

I think the key is the word combination block. So both still have to be in contact for it to be a chop block. But they don't make that clarification anywhere in the book. When they give examples of the new rule at the end, they just deal with different combinations or high/low, and not when one is released and another picks up the block. But it's iffy, based on their inclusion of example II. Whoever said the rules were supposed to be clear?

Quote:

SECTION 3. Blocking
Chop Block—ARTICLE 3
Approved Ruling 2-3-3
I. On a forward pass play, A75 is blocking B66 at the waist behind the
neutral zone. While A75 maintains contact, A47 subsequently blocks
B66 at his thigh. RULING: Chop block, 15 yards from the previous
spot.
II. As the flow of the play moves to the left, right tackle A77 is
disengaging from his contact above the thigh with B50 when A27
blocks B50 at his knee. RULING: Chop block, 15 yards from the
basic spot. Previous-spot enforcement if the foul occurs behind the
neutral zone.
III. Immediately after the snap, left guard A65 and left tackle A79
simultaneously block B66, who is in the neutral zone. (a) Both
contacts are at the thigh. (b) One contact is at the waist and the other
at the knee. RULING: (a) Legal blocks. (b) Foul, chop block.
IV. Tight end A87 and wingback A43 are leading the play when both
simultaneously block linebacker B17, who is three yards beyond
the neutral zone. (a) Both blocks are above the waist. (b) One block
is above the waist and the other at the knee. RULING: (a) Legal
blocks. (b) Foul, chop block.
V. As tight end A88 leaves the line of scrimmage, he is blocked by
B76 at the knee in an attempt to restrict A88’s path. After a short
delay and while B76 maintains contact, B53 blocks A88 at the knee.
RULING: Legal. Both blocks are below the thigh.

The horse collar tackle is not a dangerous tackle. This is a ridiculous rule invoked after Michael Vick broke his ankle to protect the highly paid players. Until he got hurt, it was never an issue.

It is still legal to grab those players who have hair coming out of the back of their helmet and drag them to the ground in the same manner.

It would seem the NCAA is doing everything they can to shorten the length of games to accomodate the television broadcast with the new clock rule.

And the chop block has always been loosely enforced as anyone on the O and D Line can attest. I doubt we will see many more of these called.

I have always enjoyed the passion of college football and hate to see the NFL influence the game. I could be wrong, but I already have a lot of animosity towards the NCAA and their support of the BCS system. In the end, I guess it boils down to the Golden Rule:

He who has the Gold makes the Rules.

Thomp... the chop block is the kind of rule I see being called on us with Rice losing to UT by 2, with the ball on the UT 25 with 10 seconds to play and a time out left after completing a pass to the 5 yard line. Just for good measure, the block would be said to have occurred at the 33 yard line... +15 yards... +10 yards for the posts.... and because we immediately called time-out on the completion, they'd burn our time out (wrongly, but not surprisingly). UT (or any other BCS school... it's not UT's doing alone) wins.

It may not be UT, and it may not be this year... but you read it here first.

why do you have to get fancy with the chop block?

wouldnt a simple Roughing the Kicker suffice?

I mean... all he would have to do is trip over someone and UT gets another shot to win.

just sayin...

Did colleges eliminate the 5-yard face mask penalty? I know it is eliminated in Texas high schools - 15-yard penalty only.

tthomp82 Wrote:

why do you have to get fancy with the chop block?

wouldnt a simple Roughing the Kicker suffice?

I mean... all he would have to do is trip over someone and UT gets another shot to win.

just sayin...

Personally, I think RUSHING the kicker should be a penalty... but perhaps I'm biased.

The purpose of the rule is fine... but I just know how things have happened around here... Why don't we just eliminate blocking below the thighs. It'd be easier to teach and judge.

The problem with the new chop block rule is that it does not address the potential injury problem that true chop blocks can cause. The old rule was specifically addressed to that - when someone was in contact with the defender above the waist, you couldn't hit the defender below the waist. It was simply a matter of protecting the defender's legs (and particularly knees) when he had was likely to have a foot planted and a knee relatively straight. This rule would have killed Hatfield's wishbone because the OL worked hard to get combination blocks where one blocker hit the defensive lineman and then slipped off to a backer as the blocker next to him picked up the defensive lineman coming off the first blocker. No more scoop blocks since the second guy was often at or below waist level.

I'm with Thomps on the horsecollar too - it was violent, but not any more so that grabbing that ponytail or the back of the jersey and giving them a good jerk. It was simply good pursuit football! Anything to get higher scores and shorten the game for TV, but at least everyone is in theory playing by the same rules.

RiceDoc Wrote:

It was simply good pursuit football! Anything to get higher scores and shorten the game for TV, but at least everyone is in theory playing by the same rules.

Wouldn't less penalties shorten the game?

Personally, i don't care much about shortening the game. As much time, effort, and money as I put into coming to a game, shortening it seems like they are cheating me.

sonofanowl Wrote:

Did colleges eliminate the 5-yard face mask penalty? I know it is eliminated in Texas high schools - 15-yard penalty only.

Yes. Here's the full list of "major changes" from the NCAA rulebook:

Quote:

MAJOR RULES CHANGES

1-4-9-d, 11-2-1-d...................Referee microphone mandatory in 2010............FR-38, 139
1-4-9-g...................................Recording opponent’s signals prohibited................... FR-38
2-2-4, 2-29-2, 3-2-4, 4-1-5....40/25-second play clock system instituted................ FR-41,
58, 67, 80
2-3-3.......................................Chop block redefined.................................................. FR-43
3-2-2-h (deleted)....................15-second play clock eliminated................................ FR-67
3-2-2-i (deleted).....................Clock adjustment on inadvertent whistle................... FR-67
3-2-5-a-12..............................Game clock starts when ball is ready for play
after ball carrier goes out of bounds..................... FR-69
6-2-1.......................................Kickoff out of bounds: option to snap at
40-yard line............................................................ FR-88
9-1-2-p...................................Horse-collar tackle prohibited................................... FR-118
9-1-2-q...................................Five-yard facemask foul eliminated ........................ FR-118
9-1-3.......................................Helmet contact/targeting an opponent
rule redefined....................................................... FR-119
9-1-6.......................................Sideline warning changed to sideline
interference foul................................................... FR-121
12-3-1-a.................................Field goals included in reviewable scoring plays.... FR-144
12-3-3-b.................................If runner ruled down, immediate fumble
recovery is reviewable......................................... FR-145
12-3-3-c.................................If runner ruled out of bounds, immediate
score is reviewable............................................... FR-146
12-3-4.....................................Replay official may correct egregious errors........... FR-146
12-5-1-b-1..............................Successful coach’s challenge extended
to maximum of two per game............................. FR-147

Specifically in regards to the face mask penalty, there now must be a "twist, turn, or pull" of the face mask in order for it to be a penalty. Incidental contact is not a foul.

NoodleOwl Wrote:

Specifically in regards to the face mask penalty, there now must be a "twist, turn, or pull" of the face mask in order for it to be a penalty. Incidental contact is not a foul.

They say there must be a "twist, turn, or pull" for it to be a penalty. But, my experience with two scrimmages has been it's going to get called. When in doubt, they will call the 15 yard penalty. I had a "discussion" with an ref last week about this. He told me he saw a slight twist. 03-banghead

Hambone10 Wrote:

Thomp... the chop block is the kind of rule I see being called on us with Rice losing to UT by 2, with the ball on the UT 25 with 10 seconds to play and a time out left after completing a pass to the 5 yard line. Just for good measure, the block would be said to have occurred at the 33 yard line... +15 yards... +10 yards for the posts.... and because we immediately called time-out on the completion, they'd burn our time out (wrongly, but not surprisingly). UT (or any other BCS school... it's not UT's doing alone) wins.

It may not be UT, and it may not be this year... but you read it here first.

Truer words never spoken. Very well said.

Almadenmike

CTRice10

UT Ceng Owl

Hambone10

kingjames23tx

gsloth

tthomp82

Hambone10

tthomp82

sonofanowl

Hambone10

RiceDoc

OptimisticOwl

NoodleOwl

sonofanowl

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