NCAA Football: Massive rule changes are coming for college football

EDIT: Since posting, the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved all three pending rule changes and will be in place for the 2023 college football season.

A committee is meeting today to ratify NCAA football rules changes. The Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) annually meets to discuss potential rule changes that are submitted by the NCAA Football Rules Committee. Earlier this year, the NCAAFRC proposed several rules changes that could drastically change college football.

Among these potential rule changes are four proposals, one of which has already been shot down and one which is expected to be passed today.

According to a report from Dennis Dodd, today’s ruling is expected to ratify a rule change that will eliminate clock stoppages on first downs. The rules have changed regarding this over the years, but ever since 1968, college football has had some form of stoppage after a first down. For years, a first down created a full stoppage of the clock that only began when the ball was snapped. After a minor rule change, referees would start the clock once the ball was set on the line of scrimmage.

Now, no stoppages will occur on first downs until the last two minutes of each half (two-minute drill). The clock will restart upon the ball being spotted as was the case under the previous rules. This is expected to cut off about 7 plays per game.

It is expected that both Division II and Division II will adopt the new rule, but Division III has announced they will be creating their own set of rules moving forward.

Two more rules are expected to be added at a future date. The first would eliminate a team’s ability to call back-to-back timeouts outside of an injury situation. The second would change end-of-quarter penalties.

The first rule change would normally only come into play with “icing the kicker” scenarios. The second rule change would eliminate the free, untimed down after a defensive penalty if the penalty occurs at the end of the first or third quarters. The next play, with the penalty enforced, will now take place during the first play of the next quarter. Untimed downs will still be offered at the end of each half after a defensive penalty.

A fourth rule change (one that has already been shot down) proposed restarting the clock as soon as the ball is set after an incompletion. This rule change will not be considered.