NCAA discussing major change to targeting rule in college football

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

There could be large changes coming to officiating targeting this upcoming season.

The NCAA rules committee is meeting this week to discuss an amendment which would discontinue the carry-over suspension for first time targeting violations according to a report by Yahoo Sports. This means that players who are disqualified for the first time that season will not need to sit out the following game.

The proposed rule would be set to have a a one-year trial with the FBS Oversight Committee set to review rule recommendations on March 19.

“This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure,” said A.J. Edds, rules subcommittee chair and vice president of football administration for the Big Ten. “We will closely monitor this one-year adjustment, and the committee believes it is important to enhance the progressive penalty to ensure proper coaching and player education.”

Although the potential amendment would provide relief to first time offenders, it heightens the risk if a player has multiple targeting fouls throughout the year. If a player commits a second targeting foul that season they would have to sit out the first half of the team’s next game. Should they commit a third, the player could potentially miss the entirety of their next game.

*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*

Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77