College football is less than a month away, and several rules are being adjusted beginning this season.
The NCAA rules committee has released the following for college football fans before the season.
There will be an experimental rule for 2026 when it comes to targeting.
Targeting fouls that are upheld will include …If a player receives a second Targeting foul within the same season, [the penalty will be] disqualification for the remainder of the game and the first half of the team’s next scheduled game within that season.
If a player receives a third or subsequent targeting foul within the same season, the penalty will be disqualification for the remainder of the game and that player will receive an automatic one-game suspension in their team’s next scheduled game of that season.
If a player receives a second and/or subsequent upheld targeting foul within the same season, the conference has the option to consult the national coordinator of football officials who would then facilitate a video review.
Based on the review, if and only if the national coordinator concludes that it is clearly obvious the player should not have been disqualified on the first, second or any subsequent targeting foul, the suspension will be vacated.
If the national coordinator supports the disqualification, the suspension for the next game will remain.
The rationale: This continues the evolution of this important player safety rule. The committee believes the rule has had a profound positive impact on technique and removing the carryover aspect of second-half fouls is appropriate. Increasing the progressive penalty aspect is intended to underscore the continued importance of this rule.
Kickoffs: In a scrimmage kick formation at the snap (Rule 2-16-10) Team A may have fewer than five linemen numbered 50-79, subject to the following conditions:
The snapper and two adjacent linemen on either side of the snapper, not numbered 50-79 who are lined up in (or touching) the tackle box are ineligible receivers by position and become exceptions to the numbering rule when the snapper takes his position.
Any and all such numbering-exception players must be clearly on the line of scrimmage, and all backs must be clearly in the backfield. Otherwise, Team A commits a foul for illegal formation.
The rationale: Current rules in this area have allowed for significant confusion and created difficulty for the defense and officials to identify ineligible receivers on these plays. This proposal clarifies responsibilities and alignments for all.
adjusted to 10 yards.
The rationale: The committee believes the previous penalty (15 yards) was too stringent.
Play clock following a replay review after the two-minute timeout approved change – Rule 3-2-4-c-12
The play clock is set to 25 seconds following an instant replay review with the following exception:
After the two-minute timeout in the second or fourth quarters, when the replay official stops the game for review, the play clock will be frozen at that point and will be restarted following the review when the ball is made ready for play by the referee’s signal. (both instances) when it is frozen, it will be reset to 10 seconds and started when the ball is made ready for play by the Referee’s signal.
The rationale: This change prevents teams from gaining an advantage when video replay is involved late in either half due to the status of the play clock.
Unsportsmanlike penalties: The list of automatic unsportsmanlike conduct fouls will be minimized and will be consistently penalized including:
Any form of gun violence including brandishing a weapon.
A slashing of the throat or a nose wipe signal.
A player removing their helmet after the ball is dead (with exceptions for timeouts and equipment adjustments).
Dead-ball contact fouls such as pushing, shoving, striking, etc. that occur clearly after the ball is dead and that are not part of the game action.
After the ball is dead, using forcible contact to push or pull an opponent off the pile.
The rationale: The committee believes the sport is in a positive place overall with unsportsmanlike conduct and this adjusts the rules to meet enforcement on the field.
