NCAA to Consider CFB Rule Change Proposal to Combat Players Faking Injuries

The NCAA Football Rules Committee will consider a proposed rule change intended to discourage players from faking injuries that result in unwarranted timeouts, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

In a proposal submitted by the American Football Coaches Association, a player who goes down on the field and receives medical attention would be required to sit out the rest of that team's possession, via ESPN.

Under the current rules, players must sit out at least one play before entering the game once again.

Players have increasingly utilized the tactic of faking injuries over the past decade to slow down tempo offenses. It has been used to essentially get an extra timeout and is also a method for an offense to potentially avoid incurring a delay of game penalty.

"The American Football Coaches Association is acutely concerned about this," AFCA executive director Craig Bohl said, via ESPN. "It goes against the grain of the betterment of our game and the ethics. We crafted this, we floated this, and it's been received well. I'm sure there'll be some pushback. Our point (to detractors) is give us something better if you don't like it."

There are some stipulations in the proposal. If a player goes down, a coach can use a charged timeout to get the player back on the field without waiting until the next possession, per ESPN. A player suffering an injury due to a hit that results in a penalty would be exempt from the proposed rule as well.

Also, the designated players that wear green dots on their helmets and can communicate with the sideline are allowed to re-enter games following an absence of just one play.

If the rules committee passes the proposal for the change, it would then go to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel for official approval in April.

If approved, it would be implemented ahead of the 2025 season.