The NCAA has instituted a number of new rules for the 2008 season. Below is a quick review of those changes so that you don’t look like a bigger idiot than you do already when yelling at the refs.
1. Change to NFL-style 40 second game clock – Perhaps the biggest change this season is the change from the 25 second to the 40 second play clock. In previous seasons, the referees were responsible for setting the ball and starting the 25 second clock. Now, the 40 second play clock will start immediately after the end of the previous play without waiting for the ref to set the ball. The move was made to help speed up the game as well as to eliminate the differences in speed in which the refs put the ball in play. It will be interesting to see how this affects the end of games as the offense will not be able to slowly get up from the pile while the refs try to find the ball to get it set.
2. Change in game clock for out of bounds plays – Starting this season, the clock will stop when a player goes out of bounds, but will restart when the ball is set for play rather than waiting for the snap. Inside of the last two minutes of each half, the clock will operate as before and wait to start until the ball is snapped. This is just a way to speed up the game, but I’m not sure it is really necessary.
3. New facemask rules – The 5-yard incidental facemask rule is no more and all facemask penalties will carry a 15 yard penalty. “Incidental” contact is no longer a penalty, but any grab, twist, or jerk is a 15 yarder now.
4. Kickoff changes – A kickoff out of bounds will now result in the receiving team getting the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kickoff. A kickoff caught with one foot in bounds and one foot out will be considered out of bounds so look for players to try to do just that on close kicks.
5. Sideline warnings – The sideline warning is a thing of the past as now teams will be assessed a 5-yard penalty for a first or second sideline infraction with no warning. Subsequent infractions will receive a 15-yard penalty.
6. Instant replay changes – Coaches that are successful in their first challenge are now granted a second challenge during the game. This should help in early game situations where a coach was previously unsure of whether or not to use up his challenge. Field goals are now reviewable to determine if the ball went over/under the crossbar and between the goalposts.
7. Horse-collar tackles – The horse-collar tackle is now a 15-yard personal foul. I’m not sure what took the NCAA so long to implement this rule.
8. Safety rules – The NCAA has re-defined spearing as targeting and initiating contact with the top of the helmet. Spearing is a personal foul penalty. The chop block penalty has also been simplified to read: “A chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any two players against an opponent (not the runner) anywhere on the field, with or without a delay between contacts; the “low” component is at the opponent’s thigh or below.”

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