2008 NCAA Division I FBS Football Season - Rule Changes For 2008

Rule Changes For 2008

The NCAA football rules committee made several rule changes for 2008, and includes the following:

• Teams have 40 seconds from the time a ball is declared dead to snap the ball. The 25 second play clock will still be used for administrative stoppages and penalties.
• The 15 second play clock after a TV timeout (adopted in the 2007 season) is repealed and returned to 25 seconds.
• Outside of the final two minutes of each half, if a runner goes out of bounds, the game clock re-starts after the ball is spotted.
• The penalty for kicking the ball out of bounds on the kickoff is increased, placing the ball at the 40-yard line, similar to the NFL.
• Reinforcing that contact that leads with the crown of the helmet to another player (targeting) is a foul, penalized 15 yards. In the 2013 season, such a foul includes an automatic ejection.
• All face-mask penalties result in a 15-yard penalty. Incidental contact with the face mask is no longer penalized.
• Sideline warnings are now penalized five yards for the first two occurrences, and 15 yards (unsportsmanlike conduct) for the third and subsequent violations. Previously the officials gave teams two warnings before a five-yard penalty was called.
• All horse-collar tackles are now subject to a 15-yard penalty.
• If a coach challenges a play, and he wins the challenge, then he is given a second challenge to use later in the game, but each coach has a maximum of two challenges per game even if both are decided in his favor.