2008 NCAA Football New Rules

512 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:12:39 -0000

I totally stole this from NCAA's website, but I haven't seen it posted anywhere and highly recommend that you all read it thoroughly before you throw a beer bottle at your television because of such a ludicrous officiating blunder that actually is just yet another rule change.

I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on these new rules because I certainly think some of them are silly and will cause more harm than good this season for teams and officials.

2008 NCAA Rules Changes
From the NCAA

NCAA FOOTBALL RULES COMMITTEE ACTION FOR 2008
Rogers Redding
Secretary-Rules Editor
NCAA Football Rules Committee

Introduction
In making its recommendations for rules changes in 2008, the NCAA Football Rules Committee retained its focus on player safety and consistency of making the ball ready for play. The committee also has slightly expanded the types of plays allowable for instant replay review, broadened the head coach’s ability to challenge a ruling, and made some changes in the administration of the game.

The changes summarized below have been adopted by the NCAA Football Rules Committee and approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP), which has jurisdiction over the rules committees for all sports.

Rules Changes
1. Player Safety.
Helmet Crown and Defenseless Players (Rule 9-1-3). The committee has refined the rules regarding the use of the helmet as a weapon and the targeting of defenseless players. (The Points of Emphasis section of the NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations lists a number of examples of defenseless players.) Emphasis on these actions highlights concern about potentially debilitating injuries. It is now a foul when a player targets an opponent and initiates contact with the crown (top) of the helmet. This rule is intended primarily for the safety of the player who initiates the contact. It is also a foul if a player targets a defenseless opponent and initiates contact above the shoulders. Each of these is a personal foul and thus carries a 15-yard penalty.

Chop Block (Rule 2-3-3). The definition of the chop block has been simplified to assist in the understanding of this rule and to encourage more consistent officiating. A chop block is now defined as a high-low or low-high combination block by any two players against an opponent (other than the runner) anywhere on the field, with or without a delay between contacts. The “low” component is at the opponent’s thigh or below. A dangerous action that can lead to serious injury, the chop block is a personal foul that carries a 15-yard penalty.

“Horse-Collar” Tackle (Rule 9-1-2-p). With this new rule, the committee addresses the potential hazard to a ball carrier that is grabbed by the inside collar of the jersey or shoulder pad and quickly jerked down. The rule prohibits all players from grabbing the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling the runner down. This does not apply to a runner who is inside the tackle box or to a quarterback who is in the pocket. A key element is the immediacy of the runner being pulled down, because of the risk of injury. The horse-collar tackle is a personal foul and the penalty is 15 yards.

Face-Mask Foul (Rule 9-1-2-q). There is no longer a foul if any player grabs an opponent’s face mask without pulling, twisting, or turning it. The five-yard penalty has been eliminated. This change does not change the safety aspect of this rule. Pulling, twisting, or turning an opponent’s face mask remains a personal foul with a 15-yard penalty.

2. Timing. 40-Second Play Clock (Rule 3-2-4). The 40-second play clock represents a major change in the timing of the game and will impact how the game looks and flows. The purpose of this change is to enhance the consistency of how soon the ball is ready for play once it has become dead. In the past, the play clock was set at 25 seconds and started on the referee’s signal on every play. Now, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds after the ball becomes dead on every play and started immediately. In circumstances when the officials stop the game clock for administrative and other reasons, the play clock will be set to 25 seconds and started on the referee’s signal in the familiar manner. The 25-second clock will be in effect for:
1. Penalty administration.
2. Charged team timeout.
3. Media timeout.
4. Injury timeout.
5. Measurement.
6. Change of possession.
7. Following a kick.
8. Score.
9. Start of each period.
10. Start of a team’s series in extra period.
11. Instant replay review.
12. Other administrative stoppage.

Also, the committee has eliminated the 15-second play clock which was used following television timeouts.

Ball Out Of Bounds (Rule 3-2-5-a-12). When a ball is carried or fumbled out of bounds, the game clock will stop, as always. Beginning in 2008 the game clock will start on the referee’s signal when the ball is ready for play, not on the snap. In the last two minutes of the half, however, the clock will start on the snap as before, preserving the ability of the offensive team to maximize strategic use of the clock.

3. Instant Replay.
Reviewable Plays. The new rules expand the range of plays for which the replay official may stop the game to review. These include certain field goal attempts, plays where the ball carrier is ruled down and a loose ball is immediately recovered, and plays where the ball carrier is ruled out of bounds when he immediately carries the ball across the goal line.

Field Goal Attempts (Rule 12-3-1-a). A field goal attempt may be reviewed only if the ball is ruled below or above the crossbar, or inside or outside the uprights when it is lower than the top of the uprights. If the ball is higher than the top of the uprights, the play may not be reviewed.

Ball Carrier Ruled Down (Rule 12-3-3-b). When a ball carrier is judged down by rule and the ball is fumbled, the play may be reviewed if the recovery of the ball occurs in the immediate action following the fumble and is prior to any official signaling that the ball is dead. However, if the replay official does not have indisputable video evidence as to which player recovers the fumble, the ruling of down-by-rule stands. If the call of down-by-rule is reversed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery and no advance is allowed.

Ball Carrier Ruled Down Near The Goal Line (Rule 12-3-3-c). When a ball carrier is ruled out of bounds, the play may be reviewed if his immediate action takes him into the opponent’s end zone and is prior to any official signaling that the ball is dead.

Head Coach’s Challenge (Rule 12-5-1-b). A new rule expands the ability of a head coach to challenge a reviewable ruling on the field. The head coach now retains a challenge if his initial challenge is successful and thus results in a reversal by the replay official. The coach will then still have a single challenge that he may use anytime during the game if his team has not used all its timeouts. Thus a team may have a total of two challenges in the game, but only if the first results in a reversal of the on-field ruling.

4. Game Administration.
Sideline Infraction (Rule 9-1-6). The committee has changed the rule regarding sideline personnel being in the restricted area, which is between the sideline and the coaching box. The former sideline warning has given way to a sideline infraction which carries an immediate yardage penalty. The first two infractions have a five-yard delay of game penalty, and the third and subsequent violations now carry a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Obtaining Opponent’s Signals (Rule 1-4-9-g). The rules now prohibit any attempt to record, either by video or audio means, the signals given by an opposing player, coach, or other team personnel. Violations should be brought to the attention of the proper disciplinary authority.

Poll

Which new rule poses the most problems and/or strange discomfort in the upcoming season?

PS3: Organize a Team BONers? Pass the Time Until Football....

512 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:03:15 -0000

A little off topic but just curious if anyone would like to try and start a group of Burnt Orange Nation members on Playstation3 online network?

As nerdy as it may be, I would love to create an All-Longhorn team for Call of Duty IV: Modern Warfare online play. Anyone who has played this game can definitely vouch for its badassedness. What else are we going to do until football season anyway?

Other games I play include Tiger Woods Golf 08 and NCAA Football 08. And soon to be playing GTA IV.

My screen name on the PS3 network is "Texas14" and my clan tag is (512) for CoD4. If you have a PS3 and might be interested give me a shout. You can either request to add a friend or leave a message here.

ESPN/USA Today Poll Released

512 — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:03:28 -0000

For the week of March 3, 2008 going into the final week of regular season play, the rankings are as follows.

North Carolina (19) 27-2 763

UCLA (6) 26-3 718

Memphis (6) 28-1 717

Tennessee 26-3 695

Duke 25-3 621

Kansas 26-3 618

Stanford 24-4 572

Wisconsin 24-4 535

Texas 24-5 533

Georgetown 24-4 521

Xavier 25-4 492

Butler 27-3 393

Louisville 24-6 368

Connecticut 23-6 356

Purdue 23-6 314

Vanderbilt 24-5 305

Indiana 24-5 297

Michigan State 23-6 283

Notre Dame 22-6 246

Marquette 21-7 141

Drake 25-4 116

Washington State 22-7 102

Gonzaga 23-6 99

Brigham Young 23-6 94

Mississippi State 20-8 44

So Texas has dropped from 5th to 9th due to the 3 point loss to Texas Tech over the weekend.

A fair place to put the Longhorns this week?
Too harsh? Thoughts?

DJ Augustin- Best PG in NCAAB

512 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:17:45 -0000

Show DJ Augustin some nation wide support and vote for him on the espn poll for today, Thursday February 21, 2008.

He is currently leading the poll at 32% as the best Point Guard in college basketball. He is certainly better than Ty Lawson for UNC so give a minute for our PG.

Thanks.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/index

Starting Lineup: Texas Longhorns

512 — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:09:35 -0000

Texas Longhorn Starting Lineup

I would really like to see a change in the use of the roster by Rick Barnes. Last year I would've vomited if someone said this but think long and hard and then give me your opinion. Thanks.

DJ Augustin- PG
AJ Abrams- G
JD Lewis- G
Damion James- F
Conner Atchley- F 1st sub: Dexter Pittman- F

Against larger teams we continually struggle to get into the paint. Augustin cannot win the game all by himself in the paint.

Gary Johnson,Wangmene and Chapman are young and do little to contribute to the success of this team at this point. They are inexperienced at this level but may prove to be effective after a year of conditioning and adjustment.

Putting a legitimate 3rd threat from 3 point range on the court and quickly moving the ball around the perimeter would provide more open looks for all 3 guards. The opposing team couldn't just sit on Abrams the whole game.

With G. Johnson and Wangmene in the game you can sense that lack of chemistry that the team was playing with earlier in the year.

I hated JD Lewis last year, BUT he IS 7 for 11 from 3 point range and 8 of 12 overall this season. I think it is worth a shot.