Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Here are the rules changes you need to know this college football season
Week 0 of the 2024 college football season offered a tantalizing amuse-bouche of what awaits over the next few months, building to the inaugural 12-team college football playoff. Georgia Tech countered their way to a stunning upset of Flordia State in Dublin, sending shockwaves through the college football world.
This week, however, the season begins in earnest. There are some critical games on the weekend slate, including No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia in Atlanta, and No. 23 USC vs. No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas.
Now that the college football schedule is set to kick into gear, we thought it was a good time to offer a rundown of the new rules in effect for the 2024 college football season. While many involve the use of technology — both on the field and on the sidelines — there are some new safety rules, as well as some new timing rules.
Technology rules
This season some new technology is coming to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), including the use of coach-to-player communication, and sideline tablet usage.
Coach-to-Player Communication
The FBS is making an exception to Rule 1-4-11-b, allowing for an in-helmet radio this year. That will allow coach-to-player communication.
Under this rule, only one player can be on the field at a time with a helmet radio, and that must be identified by an “unbranded” green dot on the back of the helmet. The radio will be cut off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds, or at the snap, whichever comes first. When the play clock resets to 25 or 40 seconds, the communication system will be turned back on.
If officials detect more than one green dot helmet on the field at a time, the result will be a live ball, five-yard equipment violation penalty. The infraction will also initiate a conference review.
In addition, Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams playing against an FBS school may utilize the communication system.
Tablets for in-game video
The NCAA is permitting tablets to be used for in-game video only starting this season.
Under this exception to Rule 1-4-11-a, teams can view “in-game video” on tablets, in the coach’s box, on the sidelines, and in the locker room. The video can include sideline, endzone, and program feeds per play, can can display “game circumstances” — such as down, distance, time, quarter, and score — but cannot include analytics, data, or any data-access capability.
Teams can have up to 18 standard tablets active, and all team personnel may view the tablets.
If any team personnel engages an official with a tablet to show and/or review video, an automatic Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul will result.
Timing rules
Two-minute timeout
As College Football 25 players know, college football is instituting a two-minute warning.
Dubbed the “two-minute timeout,” under this change to Rule 3-3-5 college football will now stop the clock with two minutes remaining in the second and fourth quarters. The clock will be stopped at exactly two minutes if the game clock is running, and the ball is not live. If the ball is live when the game clock hits two minutes, the play will continue and the Referee will stop the clock when the ball is next declared dead.
Radio and TV broadcast partners are required to save one media timeout to coincide with the two-minute timeout.
At the two-minute timeout, the play clock will be set at 25 seconds, and the game clock will start on the next snap.
Replay rules
Collaborative replay
Under Rule 12-4-3, conferences are now able to implement a “Collaborative Instant Replay” process, currently an experimental rule.
Replay and halftime
At the end of the first half, once the teams have left the field and the Referee has cleared the final play with both the on-field crew and the replay official, the Referee will declare the half over provided there is no coach’s challenge.
Once the half has been declared ended, there can be no additional replay reviews from the previous play.
Dead and loose ball replays
If a passer is ruled down, or out of bounds, prior to throwing a pass — and the replay official has “indisputable” evidence that the ball was released prior to the dead ball ruling — the replay official can rule on the “immediate continuing action.”
If the pass is caught by either team they are given possession at that spot, with no advancement of the football.
If the pass is incomplete, the down counts.
Penalty enforcement following replay
This year college football is clarifying penalty enforcement following a replay review. Penalties that carry either a five- or a ten-yard penalty are not enforced if a play is overturned via replay, and these become dead ball penalties.
However, personal fouls, as well as unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, are always enforced. These penalties are enforced if the play is overturned or not.
Safety rules
Horse-collar tackles
College football has expanded the horse-collar tackle rule. Under the previous version of Rule 9-1-15 horse-collar tackles inside the tackle box were not considered a penalty. Starting this season, however, horse-collar tackles that occur inside the tackle box are a 15-yard personal foul penalty.
