2012 NCAA Football Rule Changes
Here we go!
The start of the 2012 football season and with that come a few changes that are in place for better safety of the players. What do you think? Are these changes for better play or a chance to cause controversy?
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/56504/know-your-2012-rule-changes
What jumps out to me on the the helmut rule is what stops the opposing team from intentionally popping a helmut off a playmaker to get him out of the game for a play to disrupt the momentum?
What else do you see?
August 30th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
I'm still reeling form that Bama fan rant (below).
But, I am curious how the new kick rules will effect play.
August 30th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
The touchback changes will be difficult to get used to. I imagine cutting the team on the field back from 20 at time was hard to get used to as well... but still....the 25?
August 30th, 2012 at 2:01 PM ^
I am sad the Bama rant got deleted :( please bring back someone?
August 30th, 2012 at 2:16 PM ^
Still available thanks to the good people at Google Cache!
August 30th, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
August 30th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
I don't think it's easy to get someone's helmet off during the course of a play without yanking on his facemask, which already has an exception built into the rule ot prevent that from happening.
August 30th, 2012 at 2:29 PM ^
Maybe not easy, but it happens. I can think of two instances from last season off the top of my head. When Kovacs sacked Persa late in the game at NW, he took his helmet off and the play was whistled dead, which pissed the Wildcat fans off. Under the enw rule, not only would the play have been whistled dead, but Persa would have to come out of the game on the next play. Denard also got his helmet taken off toward the end of the Ohio game, and we ended up having to waste a timeout.
August 30th, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^
"Receiving teams can also call for a fair catch on onside/squib kicks on the first bounce, and if so the kicking team can not make contact until the ball hits the ground twice."
What instigated this change? I don't remember too many injuries occuring during onside kicks. This pretty much makes the onside kick useless since the kickers deliberately kick the ball into the ground (first bounce) to get a lot of height behind it.
August 30th, 2012 at 3:02 PM ^
I had not heard of this rule change before (fair catch aspect after one bounce) and would be very interested in the rationale behind it. I guess this pertains to the one-bounce, very high onside kicks that they are trying to protect the receivers? After the first bounce, the receiver team can signal a fair catch and be off-limits?
Line drive, bouncing worm-burners would still be OK because of the multiple bounces and/or the inability to humanly signal fair catch if a magical one bounce screamer is directed at a receiving team member.
August 30th, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^
(EDIT: Nevemind - posted in the wrong place.)
August 30th, 2012 at 3:07 PM ^
Low blocks the occur downfield or outside the tackle-to-tackle box are eliminated. WR's must block like true mountain goats. No diving for the legs to take out a DB (defensive back, not Dave Brandon).
August 30th, 2012 at 3:17 PM ^
...now that's going to generate a shit storm at some point this season.
August 30th, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
"The whole premise behind that was to make our players buckle up and make those helmets more secure and more safety driven," said Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, who served on the rules committee that came up with the changes.
They'd better be really, really strict about facemask grabs then. If Denard had had his helmet on really tight, Gholston's facemask rip could have caused him a serious neck injury.
The 10-second runoff doesn't make a lot of sense to me. What is the connection between having your helmet knocked off and the clock?
August 30th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
Possibly that a lineman could "have his helmet knocked off" during a 2-minute drive. If the play is blown dead, that could mean a break for the offense.
It does open things up for defense though. Get a players helmet knocked off, end the game
August 30th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^
August 30th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
Being able to call a fair catch on the first bounce of an onside kick is complete and utter bullshit IMO. Nothing else bugs me that much.
August 30th, 2012 at 6:06 PM ^
I heard earlier that they were bringing back the halo for punt returns. This article does not mention it. HOPE!
August 30th, 2012 at 7:06 PM ^
I have a question. If a player's helmet comes off during a play, can a team call a timeout so that player can play the very next play? Seems ridiculous that you would have to sit the player for a play even after taking a timeout.
August 31st, 2012 at 2:09 AM ^