NCAA to Examine Potential CFB Targeting Rule Changes amid Controversy, Exec Says

Changes could be coming to the targeting rule in college football.

Steve Shaw, the national coordinator of officials and the NCAA's secretary-rules editor, told Yahoo's Ross Dellenger last week that officials plan to review the controversial rule over the offseason.

"We're going to be having a discussion on targeting," Shaw said. "That needs to be an annual discussion. It will be a focus discussion."

According to Dellenger, Shaw said there won't be any "backing up" when it comes to the targeting rule, but how players are penalized could be adjusted.

The rule has been effective in reducing the number of targeting calls, as Dellenger noted that there has been an annual decrease in targeting penalties since 2020. While the reduction in targeting is a positive, the penalty comes with a steep punishment when it is called.

As it stands now, a targeting call produces a 15-yard penalty, and the player who was flagged for it is disqualified for the rest of the game. If a player is called for targeting in the second half, they are disqualified for the second half of the following game as well.

Miami was without cornerback Xavier Lucas during the first half of the national championship game against Indiana after being called for targeting in the second half of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ole Miss.

"What targeting has driven in terms of player behavior change has been really good and the numbers reflect that," Shaw said. "But how can we continue this trend of taking out more of these hits we don't want in the game while being less punitive?"

While officials are considering a change to the targeting rule, adjustments to kickoffs may not be on the way. According to Dellenger, "few college executives want to move to the NFL's version of the kickoff," which changed in 2024.

"There's not a medical player-safety driver to push us to change the kickoff," Shaw said.