In recent years, fake injuries have become a growing issue in college football, particularly in response to high-paced offenses like Tennessee’s, which have proven to be difficult to contain. To disrupt the Vols’ rhythm, opposing teams have often instructed players to fake injuries after the ball is spotted, triggering an injury timeout to slow down the tempo.
However, a new NCAA rule aims to curb that tactic. Under the updated regulation, if medical staff enters the field to attend to a player after the ball is set for the next play, the injured player’s team will be charged a timeout. If the team has no timeouts left, they’ll receive a five-yard delay of game penalty instead.
This change comes after widespread concern in the college football community regarding the use of fake injuries as a strategic ploy to halt offensive momentum or conserve timeouts. The NCAA Football Rules Committee introduced the proposal to preserve the integrity of the game.
The new rule is expected to significantly reduce the frequency of suspiciously timed injuries, especially those occurring just as Tennessee’s offense lines up to snap the ball. It remains to be seen whether teams will attempt alternative methods to stall fast-paced offenses, or if programs like Tennessee will now be able to operate more freely without worrying about disruptive, unsportsmanlike tactics.
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