Mercifully, this equally unnecessary rule will not be in effect during the last two minutes of each half, so there will at least still be the chance for some memorable two-minute drills this fall.
3) The "Incidental" face mask penalty a thing of the past
Perhaps no new rule will result in as many derisive comments from the 78th row as the elimination of the five-yard incidental face-mask penalty.
Prior to 2008, there were two face mask penalties. There was the 15-yard personal-foul variety, when the head of the player was put on a spindle and yanked in an unnatural direction. This penalty was usually obvious from almost anywhere in the stadium, and carried with it an automatic first down in addition to the 15 yards.
The second face mask infraction was the "incidental" face mask penalty. Yes, the perpetrator did grab/touch/brush by the face mask of the opponent, but the infraction was not deemed to be life-threatening, and carried with it only a five-yard penalty.
The logic behind the change rule eliminating the five yard penalty is indisputable—player safety. The net effect of the rule, however, is to once again remove subjectivity from the game.
Want to watch the blowhard two rows over pop a few blood vessels in his neck? Wait for the home team's linebacker to graze the face mask of the opposing quarterback on his pass rush, only to be flagged for a personal foul for his efforts.
No one can argue the desire to cut down on face-mask penalties. However, the severe penalty was already on the books. With the new rule, all the NCAA is telling us the referees aren’t calling enough personal fouls.
In choosing not to trust the zebra a few feet from the infraction to determine what a constitutes an egregious—and potentially injurious—face mask, as opposed to an "incidental" act which had no effect on the opposing player or his progress, the game has taken another step backwards.
4) You have been warned! No more sideline warnings!
One of the more useless rules in the past has been the "sideline warning". You know the problem. The game is tense. The offense runs its play. There is celebration on one sideline and consternation on the other.
But wait! Hold everything! There is a flag on the field! No one knows the outcome. Will the play stand? Will the home team suffer once again from bias of the officiating crew?
No. It’s a sideline warning. The referee announces to the world, by way of flapping his arms like he is herding cats or trying to create his own breeze, that the players of one of the teams have encroached too close to the field of play, and their infraction must be made public.
No penalty. No harm done. Just a stop in the action, annoying to all involved.
What could be worse than the "sideline warning"? Try removing it. Now, instead of warning the team of its infraction, a five-yard penalty will be assessed without a warning. Think this won’t have an impact?
I cannot wait for a 4th-and-goal at the one to turn into a fourth-and-goal at the six just because the players on the sideline wanted to get closer to the action. That will be fun....
5) Other less offensive rules changes
Coaches have gained the possibility of a second instant-replay challenge. Before, coaches got one per game. Now, if a challenge is upheld, the head coach will be granted a second challenge. (No opinion—no interest.)
When a kickoff goes out of bounds, the new line of scrimmage will be the 40-yard line. Before this season, it was the 35. (If this encourages teams to kick to returners, it sounds good to me.)
Three other "safety" rules will go into effect this season: 1) A horse-collar tackle—grabbing the back of the shoulder pads of a runner and jerking them down—will now be a personal foul; 2) Targeting and initiating contact with the top of the helmet will be a penalty (spearing re-defined); and 3) the definition of a chop block has also been broadened and simplified. (These are safety rules for which I have no issue.)
Enjoy the season! Go Buffs!
We're going to send you the most entertaining Colorado Buffaloes Football articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
12 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete