On Friday, April 21, the NCAA approved new rules to speed up games. These rules were first proposed by the NCAA Football Rules Committee on March 3.
Previously, the clock was stopped in college football when a team gained a first down. However, that rule has now been changed. The game clock will continue to run when a first down is gained. The new rule does not apply in all game situations. During the last two minutes of a half, the clock will be stopped when an offense gains a first down. The rule has been approved for Divisions I and II and is pending further review for Division III.
Two other rules that were put into place are that teams are now no longer allowed to call consecutive team timeouts, and penalties at the end of the first and third quarters will be carried over and enforced on the first play of the next quarter. These rules are less consequential than the first rule, but could still be noticeable when watching games, especially the penalty rule. These three rules as a whole are expected to “moderately reduce the number of plays in the game” according to the Football Rules Committee.
Other Rules
While the main focus of the new rules was to increase the pace of play, other rules were also approved. One rule has to do with the realm of technology. Last season, an instant replay rule was tested in Division II play. Referees can now use video to decide on reviewable plays after a coach challenge, even in games with no instant replay booth official. The other two rules will not impact television viewers of games as much. One rule establishes new second-half warmup guidelines for teams. The other states that drones are not allowed on the field at the same time as the teams.
The length of games will be slightly lowered. Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen told The Athletic that the rules will take away “seven to 10 plays per game.” This would put the average college football game at roughly 170 plays per game, closer to the NFL’s 155. By lowering the number of plays, the hope of the NCAA is that fan engagement increases and the number of player injuries decreases.
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