The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee on Wednesday approved changes to football’s injury timeout rules, beginning with the 2025-26 season.
Under the new rule, if the player reports injured after the ball has been spotted by the officiating team for the next play, that player’s team will be charged a timeout.
If the team runs out of timeouts, a 5-yard delay of game penalty will be assessed.
The injury timeout proposal was made by the NCAA Football Rules Committee after many in the college football community expressed concerns about strategies in which players fake an injury to stop the opposition’s momentum or to avoid using a timeout.
This has been a topic of discussion within the NCAA Football Rules Committee in recent years. Prior to the 2021 season, a framework was instituted that allows a school or conference to request a postgame video review led by NCAA Rules Writer/National Officials Coordinator Steve Shaw regarding questionable actions involving injuries.
If it was determined that a player had faked an injury to manipulate the rules, the offending team’s conference was notified and any possible disciplinary action could be taken by the conference office.
The goal of the rule change next season is to provide an in-game mechanism that can reduce the simulation of injuries, as members of the Football Rules Committee believe these actions negatively affect the overall perception of the game.
Time out for overtime
The panel also approved a rule change regarding overtime timeouts. If a game reaches a third overtime, each team will have one timeout from the third overtime until the end of the game.
Previously, teams had one timeout for each overtime period. At the start of the third overtime, the teams alternate 2-point plays until a winner is decided.
Members of the football rules committee want the action to continue once a game reaches the third overtime period.
Other rule changes
The panel approved:
- When the decision on instant replay is announced, the referee will only say that the on-field decision is “upheld” or “overturned”. The terms “confirmed” and “stand” will not be used.
- No offensive player can be in the direct line of the snap to the potential kicker or within the snapper’s frame on punts for the formation to qualify as a scrimmage kick formation. If a team is not in a scrimmage kick formation, it must have five players numbered 50 through 79 on the line of scrimmage. Additionally, if the snapper is at the end of the line per formation, he will lose protection from scrum kicks and the opposition can line up a player on the snapper.
- If a player on a kickoff and return team makes a “T” signal with his arms during the kickoff, he waives his right to make a return and the play will be whistled dead.
- Improved rules regarding faking an action at the snap and words or signals that distract opponents as they prepare to put the ball in play will also be in effect next season. No player may call defensive signals that simulate the sound or cadence of offensive signals. The defensive terms “move” and “stalk” would be reserved for players on that side of the ball and could not be used by the offense.
- After the two-minute timeout in each half, if the defense commits a foul with 12 or more players on the field and all players are participating in the play, the officials will assess a 5-yard penalty. The offensive team would have the option to reset the game clock to the start time of the game. If the 12th player attempts to leave the field and has no influence on the play, the defensive team will be penalized 5 yards with no adjustment to the game clock.
- Coach-player communication, similar to the technology implemented for the Football Bowl Subdivision last year, will be an optional rule for teams competing in the Football Championship Subdivision.
