College football rule change-targeting defenseless player

While on vacation last week on the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, I picked up Athlon Sports college football preview. They have a very good article about college football referees with questions answered by all 6 of the 6 major conference coordinators, plus Mike Pereira of Fox NFL.

Carolla--Big Ten--defenseless player rule coming in because they care about the health of the player 10-15 years down the road. Big price to pay but willing to take that risk.

Corrento--Pac 12--It may not be "football" but it is about player safety. Only 5% of the players go pro so this is about the 90-95%and how they will function as adults and not vegetables. It will take a while for the culture to change but we will see the high hits diminish.

Shaw--SEC--the immediate ejection in a game will start to change the mindset of the players. If a players is back there chest bumping his teammates, but has 3 flags thrown, that mindset has got to go. The mindset has to be "oh no, I am out of the game." We will be very vigilant to make those calls.

McAulay--American--still struggling with the mindset that 13 minutes left in the first quarter and a team loses its free safety for the rest of the game because he lowered his target & it was still helmet to helmet that has to be called. There is no leeway for the official.

Pereira--Fox NFL--with the penalty so severe including automatic ejection, you better have a consistent philosophy.

Replay & upholding the ejection---Corrente & McAulay advocate bringing that call down on the field like the NFL for the referee to have final say on. But it is going to be very tough to get changed this year.

Another change coming about is the 8 man crew being tried and experimented with. We had it used by the ACC in our spring game. The Big 12 is going to use it this season apparently. The rational behind it:

Anderson--Big 12--keeping pace with the game. Offenses are much more spread., the officiating needs much more coverage.
They think there is an area left uncovered with the spread offense such as the tackle opposite the referee.

Having another set of eyes will help with hits on the QB. I think it will result in more holding calls myself. Pereira thinks 7 is the perfect number.

There is also a strong lobby for chips in the football to help with first downs & TD's. Anderson & McAulay don't like it because we remove the human element too much. Human game played by hmans, coached by humans and reffed by humans. I certainly agree. What would we have to talk about on talk shows if we can't complain about the calls, the dropped pass or fumble or the bad decision by the coach not to go for it on 4th down!

Reminds me of a scene from Eastwood's Unforgiven.

"You just shot an unarmed man."

"He should've armed himself."

Rather than forcing offenses to stop risky plays and leaving their players vulnerable, the solution is always found in hampering the defense. Arena league here we come.

94Deac said:

Reminds me of a scene from Eastwood's Unforgiven.

"You just shot an unarmed man."

"He should've armed himself."

Rather than forcing offenses to stop risky plays and leaving their players vulnerable, the solution is always found in hampering the defense. Arena league here we come.

Click to expand...

Yes, that looks like it. The hard part of this, as we have seen the last couple of years in the NFL & their enforcement, has been when the defense has already launched themselves on a perfectly legal clean lower hit and the offense then lowers itself to brace for the hit, the hit becomes helmet to helmet. Or above the shoulders. There is nothing the defense can do about it when they are in the air. Totally unfair but I guess all in the name of safety for the players & their future health.