Schools can now appeal second-half targeting penalties to decide if the player who committed the foul would be required to sit out the team’s next game’s first half. The conference will appeal the call to the national coordinator of officials, who will judge whether or not the foul was appropriately assessed. If it is not, the penalty is reversed and the player is eligible to play in the first half of the following game.
The NCAA also addressed athletes feigning ailments in order to reduce the speed of a game, a practice that has been more prevalent as up-tempo offenses have gained popularity. Conferences and schools will now submit a report to the national coordinator of officials, who will provide the conference evaluation. Following that, the conference or institution would impose any extra sanctions.
“We studied all possible solutions to this issue, including allowing both teams to substitute after a first down,” Stanford coach and Football Rules Committee head David Shaw stated. “This is another possibility for the future.”
Additionally, the so-called “Kenny Pickett Rule” has been approved. At the position, any ball carrier who fakes a feet-first slide shall be considered down. Pickett, the former Pitt quarterback, is notable for faking a slide to run for a 58-yard score in the first half of the 2021 ACC Championship Game against Wake Forest.
The committee also addressed blocking below the waist. Linemen and stationary running backs are permitted to block below the waist inside the tackle box, but blocking below the waist outside the tackle box is prohibited. The penalty for defensive holding will remain ten yards but will always result in an automatic first down.
