NCAA FOOTBALL RULESCHANGES FOR 2013

Reminder of Some 2011 CHANGES

ILLEGAL SHIFT: POSSIBLE FALSE START

7-1-2-b-5• If The Offense Never Comes To A Full One-Second

Stop Between The “Ready” And The Snap, This Illegal Shift Is A False Start At The Snap. Officials Shut The Play Down For The Dead-Ball Foul.

• After The Ball Is Ready For Play If The Offense Comes To A Full One-Second Stop And Subsequently Executes A Shift That Continues Through The Snap, It Is A Live-Ball Foul--Illegal Shift.

INTENTIONAL GROUNDING

7-3-2-h• To Legally “Ground” The Ball The Passer Must

Have An Eligible Receiver In The Area. However, The Receiver Does Not Need An Opportunity To Catch The Pass.

• Mere Presence Is Enough To Avoid A Foul For Intentional Grounding.

REDUCED PENALTY YARDAGE

• The Following Fouls Now Carry A 10-Yard Penalty:

Illegally Batting The Ball (9-4-1,2,3)Illegally Kicking a Loose Ball (9-4-4)

TOO MANY PLAYERS: 5-YARDS

3-5-3• Too Many Players In The Formation (Offense Or

Defense): The Play Should Be Shut Down And A Five-Yard Penalty Enforced For A Dead-Ball Foul: Substitution Infraction.

• It is OK to shut down the play immediately after the snap and assess a dead ball foul.

• In The Event That The Play Is Allowed To Continue The Penalty Is Now Five Yards as a live ball foul enforced at the previous spot.

EXTENDING THE GOAL-LINE PLANE

• 2-12-2, 8-2-1-a – The Plane Of The Goal Line Includes The Two Pylons. This Plane Is Extended ONLY For A Player Who Touches A Pylon Or The Ground In The End Zone.

EXTENDING THE GOAL-LINE PLANE

EXAMPLE Ball Carrier A22 Is At The B-3 Near The Right-Hand Sideline When He Either Dives Or Is Hit And Goes Airborne. He Crosses The Sideline In The Air At The B-1. The Ball Is In His Right Hand, And It Is Outside The Pylon And Beyond The Goal Line When He First Touches (a) The Pylon; (b) The Ground Out Of Bounds. RULING: (a) Touchdown. The Goal-Line Plane Is Extended. (b) No Score. The Goal-Line Plane Is Not Extended. A22 Is Out Of Bounds At The B-1.

Editorial Changes with Impact

• 7-3-2-h Exception – The only player who qualifies for the Intentional Grounding exception is the player who first controls the snap.

• 9-1-16-a-5 – It is not roughing or running into the kicker if a team B player is blocked into the kicker and it no longer matters if the block is legal or illegal.

Reminder of Some 2012 CHANGES

HELMET OFF• If a Player’s Helmet Comes Completely Off During a Down. Except

if the Helmet comes off as a direct result of a foul.• The Player must stop participating in the down (except for the

immediate action the player was engaged in when the helmet came off). NOTE: This is regardless of how the helmet came off.

• Other players may not contact a player with no helmet, he is defined as a player “obviously out of the play” (9-1-12-b).

• If a player’s helmet comes off and he quickly puts it back on, he may not continue to participate in the play. (By Interpretation)

• The Clock stops at the end of the down (if it is the runner, the clock stops immediately)

• The Player must leave the game for 1 play• The Player may remain in the game if the team is charged with a team

timeout. (2013 change)

KICKING TEAM POSITION

• During a Free Kick, after the ready for play, members of the kicking team (other than the kicker) must be positioned no more than 5 yards behind their restraining line.

• A player satisfies this condition when at least one foot is on or beyond the line 5 yards behind their restraining line.

• If one player is more than 5 yards behind the restraining line and does not kick the ball, it is a foul. (Illegal Formation)

KICK RECEIVER PROTECTION #1

• It is an interference foul if, before the receiver touches the ball, a kicking team player enters an area defined by the width of the receiver’s shoulders and extending one yard in front of him.

KICK RECEIVER PROTECTION #2

• During a free kick, any receiving team player in position to receive/recover the ball has the same kick-catch and fair-catch protection whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven into the ground, strikes the ground ONCE and goes into the air in the manner of a ball kicked directly off the tee.

LEAPING PUNT SHIELD

• (9-1-11-c) No defensive player, who is inside the tackle box, may try to block a punt by leaving his feet in an attempt to leap directly over an opponent.

• It is not a foul if the leap is straight up without attempting to leap over the opponent, nor is it a foul if the player leaps through a gap between players.

LEAPING PUNT SHIELD

CHANGES APPROVED IN 2013

10 SECOND RUNOFF

• 10 second runoff will no longer be part of penalty administration, helmets coming off or injury timeouts in MIAA football games.

• There will no longer be any 10 second runoffs in MIAA football for any reason. This specifically affects rules 3-3-5-f, 3-3-9-b-2 and 3-4-4. Any other rule that includes or depends on 10-second runoff will no longer include the 10 second runoff portion of the rule in MIAA games.

LOW BLOCKING ZONE

• The Low Blocking Zone (2-3-7) has been defined for the purpose of the New Blocking Below the Waist rule.

• Rectangle that Extends 7 yards laterally toward each sideline from the snapper, 5 yards beyond the neutral zone, and back to Team A’s end line.

• The Low blocking Zone disintegrates when the ball leaves the zone.

LOW BLOCKING ZONE

This is in Appendix D

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST9-1-6

What hasn’t changed• Kicks – No Change – Blocking Below the Waist is illegal during a down in

which there is a free kick or scrimmage kick, except against the ball carrier.

• After a Change of Possession – No Change –Blocking Below the Waist is illegal after any change of team possession, except against the ball carrier.

• Team B prior to a change of possession – No Change – Team B players may only block below the waist within 5 yards of the NZ (behind or beyond), with restrictions (See next slide). Outside this zone, Team B players may only Block Below the Waist against the ball carrier.

• The “Back Unrestricted Area” (MY phrase) is defined as the narrower of: (1) the outside of the second lineman from the snapper (usually the tackle); or (2) the tackle box.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

Team B Players• Team B players may legally block below the waist

within 5 yards of the NZ (behind or beyond). Except:• Team B players may not block below the waist against

a team A player in position to receive a backward pass• Team B players may not block below the waist against

an eligible team A pass receiver, beyond the NZ, while a legal forward pass is still possible by rule. Except when attempting to get to the ball or ball carrier.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAISTWhat’s NEW

Unrestricted Team A Players• Stationary Backs at least partially inside The “Back Unrestricted Area” at

the snap.• Linemen positioned completely within the Low Blocking Zone, at the snap.

Restricted Team A Players• All other Team A players not meeting the definition of an unrestricted

playerOther

• Adjacent Sideline reference is GONE• North-South reference is GONE• Backs in motion no longer can be unrestricted

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

Formation #1 – Normal SplitsUnrestricted area is between the dashed lines. Backs at

least partially between the dashed lines are unrestricted

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

Formation #2 – Wide SplitsUnrestricted area is between the dashed lines. Backs at

least partially between the dashed lines are unrestricted.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

WHAT’S NEW• There are now two kinds of Blocking Below the Waist

– Traditional, and– “From the Front”

• Traditional Blocks below the waist can occur against a defender from the front or side (within the clock face region between 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock forward of the player being blocked).– although never stated like this, all prior rules for Blocking Below the

Waist used this idea• “From the Front” – New this year, a Block Below the Waist that

must be “from the front” is within the clock face region between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock forward of the player being blocked.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAISTTraditional – Front and Side –

From 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock“From the Front” only –

From 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

While the Low Blocking Zone Exists• Inside the Low Blocking Zone– Unrestricted Team A players may Block Below the Waist in

the Low Blocking Zone traditionally (that is, from the front and side, 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock).

– Restricted Team A players may Block Below the Waist in the Low Blocking Zone “From the Front” only (that is, 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock).

• Outside the Low Blocking Zone– All Team A players (both Unrestricted and Restricted) may

Block Below the Waist “From the Front” only.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

When the Low Blocking Zone Disintegrates• All Team A players (both Unrestricted and

Restricted) may Block Below the Waist “From the Front” only.

• No player may Block Below the Waist toward his own end line (the so-called “Peel Back” Block) anywhere on the field after the Low Blocking Zone disintegrates.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

EXAMPLE Back A22 is outside the tackle box to the left of the formation. On a sweep to the right side, 11 yards downfield, A22 blocks below the waist. The force of the block is (a) from the front toward the right sideline; (b) from the side toward the left sideline; (c) from the front toward the left sideline.RULING: (a) Legal. (b) Illegal Block Below The Waist. (c) Legal.

BLOCKING BELOW THE WAIST

EXAMPLE The ball is snapped from the left hash mark. QB A12 drops back to pass. Lineman A78, the right tackle in the formation, protecting the QB, blocks B99 below the waist. The force of the block is (a) from the front inside the Low Blocking Zone; (b) from the side inside the Low Blocking Zone; (c) from the side beyond the right hash mark as the QB scrambles to that side of the field.RULING: (a) Legal. (b) Legal. (c) Illegal Block Below The Waist, whether or not the Low Blocking Zone has disintegrated at the time of the block (the hash marks are 13 ⅓ yards apart).

TARGETING

• (9-1-3) Initiating contact with the crown of the helmet to any part of any player.

• (9-1-4) Initiating contact ABOVE the shoulders to a defenseless player with any part of the body.

• Classifications of Targeting action– Launch– Crouch– Lowering the head to attack– Leading with a body part to attack

TARGETING

• Defenseless Players– Passer in the act or just after– Receiver in the act of catching– Receiver just after completing a catch– Kicker in the act or just after– (NEW) Kicker during the kick or the return– Kick Returner attempting to catch or recover a kick– (NEW) Any player on the ground, any time– Player obviously out of the play– (NEW) Player who receives a blind side block– (NEW) Ball Carrier in the grasp and forward progress stopped– (NEW) QB any time after a change of possession

TARGETING

• Any Player called for targeting will be disqualified for the remainder of the game– MIAA – The player will also be suspended from

the next game.– When writing suspension form at end of game, be

aware if you check that the player had intent to injure, that carries a full year suspension under MIAA rules. This should only be used in the most extreme cases.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

• (9-2-1) Dead ball contact fouls such as pushing, shoving, striking, etc. that are not part of game action will now be considered Unsportsmanlike Conduct fouls– This does not include late blocks and late hits that

are just ill timed game action.

ASSISTING THE BALL CARRIER

• (9-3-2-b) It is no longer a foul for assisting the ball carrier if a teammate pushes or charges into the ball carrier.

• It is still a foul for a teammate to grasp, pull or lift the ball carrier.

HELMET OFF – TIMEOUT

• (3-3-9-a, 3-3-9-b) A player who would have to leave the game for one play may stay in the game it his team is charged with a team timeout.

MINIMUM TIME FOR SPIKING THE BALL

• (3-2-5) If the game clock is stopped and will start on the referee’s signal with 3 or more seconds in the period, the offense may reasonably expect to spike the ball (7-3-2-e) and have enough time for another play.

• With 2 or fewer seconds on the game clock, there is only enough time for one play.

• MIAA Amendment – On Clocks that display tenths of a second: From 2.1 seconds to 2.9 seconds is considered to be the same as 3 seconds on clocks that do not display tenths.

• There is no guarantee with 3 seconds on the clock that there will be enough time for another play if the team delays snapping the ball.

• This gives teams a benchmark regarding when to expect that they can spike the ball and get another play.

UNIFORM NUMBERS

• (1-4-2) Players playing the same position, may not wear the same uniform number.– This could be two different tackles can’t wear the

same number– Also, you can’t put the back-up QB in the game in

the kicker’s position if he is wearing the same number as the regular kicker does.

– This will be difficult to officiate, we must rely on coaching ethics here.

UNIFORM NUMBERS

• (1-4-2) If a player changes his number, it must be reported tot eh referee, who will inform the opposing coach.– If the referee has a microphone, the players new

number will be announced.

JERSEY NUMBERS

• (1-4-4-c-3) Jersey numbers must be one solid color contrasting the color of the jersey.– This prevents having numerals on the jersey in

multiple colors such as camouflage, tiger stripes, etc.

Editorial Changes

• (10-2-3) Post-Scrimmage Kick Enforcement– Any Team B foul that occurs during the kick, will be

enforced under PSK if all the other requirements are met.• Previously, the foul had to be more than 3 yards downfield any

time during the kick play.• During the kick means that prior to the actual kick, fouls by

team B will carry previous spot enforcement.

– Running into and Roughing the Kicker carry specific enforcement from the previous spot and will remain that way (note, by definition these fouls must occur during the kick)

Editorial Changes

• (2-4-3) Clarification of the definition of “catch”– Significant re-write

• (2-27-14) Defenseless Players – See above in the Targeting Rule Change.

• (6-3-13, 10-2-4) The tack-on provision during a scrimmage kick play is only applicable when the scrimmage kick crosses the NZ.

Editorial Changes

• (7-3-2) All intentional grounding (to conserve yardage or conserve time) are loss of down only at the spot of the foul.