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College football: Taunting would be costlier under rule

Making it live-ball penalty could negate scores

Thursday, February 12, 2009 3:26 AM

By Tim May

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The NCAA football rules committee said yesterday that it will consider a possible rule change that would allow a score to be nullified if unsportsmanlike conduct occurs during the play before the ball crosses the goal line.

 

If a ball carrier taunts opponents on his way to the end zone, for example, it would no longer be considered a dead-ball foul, which is subject to a 15-yard penalty before the extra point attempt or the ensuing kickoff. Under the proposal, it would be considered a live-ball foul. That means the team would be penalized from the spot of the foul, said Oregon coach and committee chairman Mike Bellotti, and the points would be taken off the board.

 

"It obviously would be a major change, but we are considering that, and will probably poll the football coaches in that regard," Bellotti said.

 

The intent, he said, is to ensure that "college football is a team game" and that acts that draw attention to individuals will be discouraged.

 

But if Ohio State coach Jim Tressel would have been polled yesterday, his answer would have been "nay."

 

"I believe the current rule is satisfactory," Tressel said. "It is our job as coaches to make sure our guys perform appropriately, not the officials."

 

Bellotti said the proposal will be discussed for a couple of seasons. First, there will need to be a uniform definition of taunting/unsportsmanlike conduct, which seems to vary across conferences and officiating crews.

 

Rogers Redding, the secretary-rules editor for the NCAA committee and the Southeastern Conference coordinator of officials, said various officials organizations "are united in finding a common solution to this problem. We are trying to make the officiating the same across the board for all conferences at all levels of football."

 

Bellotti said the committee issued a sportsmanship statement that proposed a team's on-field actions before, during and after games be subject to review in terms of sportsmanlike behavior, and that a coach could be disciplined if his team repeatedly behaves poorly.

 

Meanwhile, making the punter fair game to get popped if he leaves the kicking zone before punting could become a new rule this season, Bellotti said. The rule would address the tactic of punters rolling left or right before kicking in a rugby-style way. They would still be protected by unnecessary roughness guidelines, but not by current roughing-the-punter rules.

 

Also, it was proposed that a visiting team be allowed to wear a jersey color other than white, providing it is in distinct contrast to the host school's jersey. It would have to be approved by the conference.

 

The proposed rule changes for the coming season are subject to review for a month before being forwarded to the NCAA oversight committee for final approval.

 

tmay@dispatch.com

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I dunno...that sounds like one of those rule changes that seems a lot better on paper than it does in practice. What constitutes taunting? A guy slows down, turns around, waves the ball around, sure, that's easy. But what happens if a guy just looks to see if anyone's behind him and slows down to a jog? What happens if a guy looks around, sees no-one behind him, and slows down as he's going in for a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left to run some clock? What if a guy raises one finger to the home crowd? What if--God forbid--an eighteen year-old decides to high step a bit? Too much interpretation for my taste.

 

Remember Washington-BYU? The Huskies got royally screwed because the ref decided that he didn't like a QB flipping the ball up in the air on his way to celebrating with his teammates. You want the ref who called that to decide whether or not a kid who runs across the goal line with the football should get credited with a touchdown?

 

Come to think of it, I don't even think it seems better on paper. Screw that noise. It's football, not church. A post-play penalty works just fine--a team loses field position, or they make an extra point even less of a gimme--and it's never a gimme in college. I'm there to watch a football game, not get a lesson in moral uplift from a line judge.

 

Dennis

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I dunno...that sounds like one of those rule changes that seems a lot better on paper than it does in practice. What constitutes taunting? A guy slows down, turns around, waves the ball around, sure, that's easy. But what happens if a guy just looks to see if anyone's behind him and slows down to a jog? What happens if a guy looks around, sees no-one behind him, and slows down as he's going in for a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left to run some clock? What if a guy raises one finger to the home crowd? What if--God forbid--an eighteen year-old decides to high step a bit? Too much interpretation for my taste.

 

Remember Washington-BYU? The Huskies got royally screwed because the ref decided that he didn't like a QB flipping the ball up in the air on his way to celebrating with his teammates. You want the ref who called that to decide whether or not a kid who runs across the goal line with the football should get credited with a touchdown?

 

Come to think of it, I don't even think it seems better on paper. Screw that noise. It's football, not church. A post-play penalty works just fine--a team loses field position, or they make an extra point even less of a gimme--and it's never a gimme in college. I'm there to watch a football game, not get a lesson in moral uplift from a line judge.

 

Dennis

 

I'm with you on this one Dennis. That is absolutely awful that they are even thinking of taking points away for this. It is a freaking game. How can you take all of the fun out like this? You are taking the game away from the players and letting it be decided by the officiating crew. That is going a little too far in my opinion.

 

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It's shocking to me that they would consider this.

 

You are actually going to take the game away from the players and put it in the hand of refs? For what? Because a players shows off to much? Wow.....Just wow.

 

I remember a few years ago in the Michigan game where Santonio Holmes dove into the end zone and they threw flag because the refs believed he didn't have to dive and was just showboating....But yet on replay you could clearly see that Holmes saw a UM player on boths side of him coming quickly....While it looked as if Holmes would make it easily he was going to make damn sure he got there.....Aftre the game he said he shocked at the call.

 

This is the kind of stuff we want refs doing? They can change a huge and wonderful play because of a judgement on taunting?

This better not happen.

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  • 1 month later...

Points are taken off the board for clips, holds....all sorts of things. Why not unsportsmanlike like conduct?

Everybody else on the field is subject to being flagged for that during the course of the play...why not the guy with the ball?

 

I think it would be pretty obvious as to what would be considered taunting....pointing back 15 yards out...that sort of stuff....not some high stepping 3 yards out.

 

I know Tn high schools have such a rule, though I can't comment on other states.

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