| No more eye-black messages? Taunting can now | | | | Considering most college football players won't |
| result in a loss of points! What the what?! | | | | ever play another game of tackle football after |
| Every year major sports, professional and | | | | college, and will seemingly need something |
| amateur, inflict rules changes on players, coaches, | | | | between their ears in order to make a living, I can |
| and most importantly, fans. Many are in the sport | | | | see why the rules committee is all about |
| of football and are changed in the name of | | | | protecting the gray matter. |
| safety, which always makes me snigger under | | | | Disallowing taunting, however, is ridiculous, so I'm |
| my breath. I'm just certain one of these days I'm | | | | going to taunt them now. Currently, players who |
| going to wake up to discover that defensive | | | | get flagged for taunting on their way to the end |
| players can no longer touch the quarterback. Mark | | | | zone get a 15-yard penalty on the extra point |
| my words. | | | | attempt, 2-point conversion attempt, or the |
| Anyway, college football made three rules | | | | ensuing kickoff - coach's choice. Beginning in 2011, |
| changes today, and they must have felt quite | | | | however, live-ball penalties will be assessed from |
| strongly about them because this is an off-year | | | | the spot of the foul and will eliminate the score, |
| for rules changes in the NCAA. Call it an | | | | should the taunting player cross the goal line. |
| emergency meeting of the rules committee to | | | | Examples include players finishing touchdown runs |
| address the following: wedge blocking on kickoffs, | | | | by high-stepping into the end zone or pointing the |
| which probably has some merit, taunting, and | | | | ball toward an opponent. |
| eye-black with messages. | | | | Talk about ridiculous. College sports are all about |
| If you're like me you probably already think | | | | celebrating, and disrespecting, and telling the other |
| there's way too many rules in college football. All | | | | guy repeatedly he's not even good enough to |
| these rules have always made me wonder just | | | | wash your jock strap. Actually taking points off |
| exactly how competent referees are. After all, | | | | the board is a dangerous consequence. Taunting is |
| we don't expect lawyers to know every law, or | | | | in the eye of the beholder, and this could lead to |
| writers to know every word, or even kids to | | | | abuses - or perceived abuses - by refs at critical |
| know every number, so I don't think it's entirely | | | | junctures in a game, particularly post-season. I |
| unreasonable to figure there are a percentage of | | | | think it's a dreadful rule change and will need to be |
| referees who are only marginally better than you | | | | modified or revoked shortly after implementation. |
| or I at making correct calls on the field. | | | | Eye-black messages have been a fun part of |
| Anyway, back to these rules changes. No more | | | | college sports, and I can't believe the NCAA rules |
| wedge blocking on kickoffs is probably okay | | | | committee got together in an off-year to create |
| because where there's a wedge there's a wedge | | | | a new rule disallowing them. Made popular by guys |
| buster, and apparently wedge-forming and | | | | like Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow - and often |
| wedge-busting has resulted in a rather large | | | | scriptural - they're no longer allowed. This really |
| amount of concussions. In fact, 20% of all injuries | | | | falls into the "are you kidding me?" category. Who |
| sustained on kickoffs result in a head injury. | | | | cares? |
