INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Football Rules Committee recommended two changes to the current overtime rules.
Currently, if two teams are tied at the end of regulation, NCAA rules state that each team will begin a drive at the 25-yard line. A coin toss determines which team has the ball first and on which side of the field play will begin.
If the teams remain tied after each drive, the process starts over with the team that was on offense first now on defense first.
After the third overtime, if a team scores a touchdown, they must attempt a two-point conversion. After the fifth overtime, teams alternate two-point conversion until a winner is determined.
Over the years, the NCAA's rules for overtime have drawn both praise and criticism with some calling it more fair than the NFL's 'sudden death' rules while detractors say the college football's overtime rules make the game too long.
In an effort the shorten the game, the rules committee proposed teams must run a two-point conversion after touchdown in the second overtime period. Once the game reaches the third overtime, teams will alternate two-point conversions until a winner is determined.
Another controversy the NCAA is hoping to address is the maligned practice of players faking injures to slow the game, otherwise known as flopping. This strategy has drawn the ire of coaches, particularly offensive coordinators, who claim the opposing team is trying to use the technicality of an injury timeout to slow their momentum.
Players have also used flopping as a way to draw a personal foul against their opponents.
Despite the frustration associated with flopping, the NCAA has not passed any major rules concerning players faking injuries so as to not unintentionally punish players who are legitimately hurt or their team.
The rules committee proposed a "framework to allow a school or conference to request a postgame video review about questionable actions through the NCAA secretary-rules editor/national coordinator of officials for football."
There was no proposal to address flopping in-game.
Among the other proposals by the rules committee are:
- Extending the team area of the sidelines (where players and coaches may stand during the game) from the 25-yard lines to the 20-yard lines
- Prohibiting schools from using video boards or stadium lights to create a distraction or obstruction to play
- Limiting blocking below the waste to only inside the tackle box
- Increased enforcement of taunting and uniform violations
- Calling immediate unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on coaches who enter the field to debate an official's decision
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel will meet on April 22 to decide whether to approve any of the proposed rules and points of emphasis.
