Fact Box

NFL rules make their way to college game

Horse-collar tackle, recording opponents' signals now illegal

By: Scott Richey/Sports Editor

Posted: 8/25/08

Updated: 8/25/08 - 8:54 a.m.

Pace of play and player safety were addressed with several rules changes for the 2008 college football season. And for the first time, the College Football Officials board of managers will handle rules in college football.

Jim Jackson, coordinator of football officials for the Ohio Valley Conference, said the 13-committee board consisting of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision committees and two Football Championship Subdivision committees was created in an attempt to standardize rules on all levels of college football. The rules changes for the 2008 season feature changes that will make some college football rules similar to rules in the National Football League.

"I don't think that we're trying to make our rules consistent with the NFL, but we have to realize those people spend lots of time and money (on studying rules)," Jackson said. "I think it does help some for them to give insight to us."

Jackson said the biggest rule changes this year concerned the adoption of a 40-second play clock that will be set immediately after a play instead of when the ball is placed on the field by an official.

He said the elimination of the 15-second play clock and clock adjustments following an inadvertent whistle are also changes made to speed up the game.

"It will never be equitable," Jackson said of the change to the inadvertent whistle rule. "If we have an inadvertent whistle somebody gets the short end of the stick."

Player safety was also a concern, and an example from the NFL was again addressed by a rule change for the 2008 college season. Jackson said a horse-collar tackle - or tackling a player from behind by grabbing inside of the player's shoulder pads and immediately yanking them to the ground - would now be a 15-yard penalty. The rule does not apply to a runner or quarterback inside of the tackle box or if the defender grabbed the ball carrier from the front or if the ball carrier was not immediately pulled to the ground. Jackson said he told the officials he oversees to watch for defenders that were in full chase made after being beat downfield.

"If you see a guy in a riot with a brick, you know he's up to no good," Jackson said he uses as an analogy for a beat defender looking to tackle a ball carrier from behind.

The five-yard facemask rule was also eliminated. It is illegal to turn, twist or pull a facemask or any helmet opening, and inadvertently touching a facemask was a five-yard penalty. Jackson said it would be difficult to follow this new rule.

"It's hard for us to discern from that," Jackson said of a true facemask penalty or if the facemask wasn't twisted or pulled. "My concern is we're going to miss that. What I'm going to tell my guys is if it looks like (a facemask penalty), call it."

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.