New rules to keep in mind as Ohio State kicks off with Akron

COLUMBUS — As fans settle in to take in No.2 Ohio State’s season opener Saturday vs. Akron, they should keep in mind several rule changes in the college game this season, not the least of which will be the NFL-like coach-to-one-player radio communication permitted for the first time.

But there are several others that are interesting, one seeming to be as a result of some of the allegations that came during the revelations of the Connor Stalions affair at Michigan last year. He and Michigan stand accused of operating for several seasons an elaborate operation of live scouting of future opponents, which was disallowed by NCAA rules a couple decades ago. But that’s not what is being referred to here because, again, that already was against the rules.

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported last October that one Big Ten school believed Michigan’s ball boys who were stationed on the opponent’s side of the field were in on a scheme to eavesdrop on play calls and relay the information to the Michigan sideline, either by signals or perhaps electronically. Well, talk about coincidence, you’ll see below this addendum to Prohibited Field Equipment – [Rule 1-4-11] :

A — Institutional ball personnel are prohibited from wearing smart watches or any communications technology while on the opponent’s sideline. 

As for the new use of radio transmission from a coach to a player in the game, presumably the quarterback on offense and the middle linebacker on defense, that upgrade was in the works for several seasons. The radios will be shut off once the play clock moves down to the 15-second mark, which Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles indicated likely will mean the Buckeyes will still rely on signals anyway for any final adjustments once the offense deploys.

The details of the restrictions in the radio realm and other rule changes can be found below in the comprehensive summary provided by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in collaboration with College Football Officiating, led by Steve Shaw and chaired by Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher:

2024 Rules Changes

Coach-to-Player Communications (Rule 1-4-11-b, Exception)
Coach to player communications through the helmet is permissive in 2024 for the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) based on the following guidelines

• Only one player may be on the field per team at a time with radio receiving capability and the player must be identified by an unbranded green dot on the back midline of the helmet.
• Coach-to-player communications will be cut off when the play clock reaches 15 seconds or at the snap, whichever comes first. When the play clock resets to 25/40, the communications will be turned back on.
• If more than one green dot helmet is detected on the field by the game officials, the result is a live ball 5-yard equipment violation penalty, and this penalty initiates a conference review.
• On free kick plays, the coach-to-player communications will not be in effect. There is no limitation to the number of green dot helmets for either team during free kick plays.
• A conference may develop a policy to provide guidance in handling situations dealing with communications failure.
• Back Judge mechanics will be developed dealing with an in stadium play clock failure and Rule 3-2-2-f, starting of the play clock when the game clock is less than 40/25 will be modified.
• FCS teams playing an FBS team may utilize coach-to-player communications in that game.

 
Tablets for In-Game Video (Rule 1-4-11-a, Exception 3)
Standard Tablets for in-game video only is permissive in 2024 for all football playing subdivisions and are subject to the following guidelines: 

• Tablets shall be restricted to “in-game video” (current game) and may not include analytics, data or data-access capability or any other communications access. No other video is allowed (e.g., scouting video, practice video, etc.).
• Tablets may be used in the coach’s box, sideline, and locker room and may not be interconnected to other devices to project larger/additional images.
• Video may include coach’s sideline, coach’s endzone, and a program feed per play from the current game only and may also display “game circumstances,” including down / distance / time / quarter / play-number / score.
• A team may 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 or review video, an automatic Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul will result.

 
Wearable Technologies
The committee had a thorough discussion of wearable technologies. The committee received and approved three DIII requests for wearable Technologies. The conferences receiving approval to experiment with wearable technologies are:

• Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) – Armilla Tech
• Liberty League – GoRoute
• Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) – AT&T 5G Visual Helmet for Gallaudet University

  
Two-Minute Timeout (Rule 3-3-5)
When the game clock is running and the ball is not live, the Referee shall stop the clock with exactly two minutes remaining in the second and fourth quarters for a Two-Minute Timeout.  If the ball is live when the game clock reaches two minutes in the second and fourth quarters, the play will continue, and the Referee shall stop the clock when the ball is subsequently declared dead for a Two Minute Timeout.
 
The radio / TV broadcast partner will hold back at least one media timeout to coincide with the Two-Minute Timeout. If there is no media timeout partner in the game, the timeout shall be one minute plus the five-second referee notification and the 25-second play clock interval.
 
This change will synchronize all in-game timing rule changes to be effective following the Two-Minute Timeout, including the first down timing rules, runs, fumbles, and backward passes out of bounds, Rule 3-4-3-b penalty enforcement, replay clock adjustment, and all 10-Second Runoff situations.
 
The play clock will be set at 25 seconds and the clock will start on the snap.
 
First Down Timing Rules (Rule 3-3-2-e-1)
After a year of review, Division III Committee members decided to adopt the timing rules where the game clock will continue to run when a first down is gained in bounds. The game clock will be stopped subsequent to the Two-Minute Timeout in each half. Divisions I and II institutions utilized this timing rule last season.
 
Collaborative Replay (Rule 12-4-3)
Conferences are now allowed the option of implementing a Collaborative Instant Replay review system. Currently, this is an experimental rule.
 
A collaborative decision-making model during instant replay reviews, which is in full compliance with Rule 12 and follows the Collaborative Replay Officiating Standards, is not limited to the press box of a stadium (Part II Officiating Standards, Section 16).
 
Horse-Collar Tackle (Rule 9-1-15)
For player safety, Horse-collar tackles that occur within the tackle box will be penalized as a 15-yard personal foul penalty. Currently, a horse-collar tackle within the tackle box is not a foul.
 
Replay – Halftime Intermission (Rule 3-2-1-b)
At the end of the first half, after the teams have left the field and the Referee has cleared the final play with the on-field crew and the instant replay official, and there is no coach challenge, the Referee will declare the half ended.
 
After the Referee has declared the first half ended, there can be no additional replay reviews from the previous play (Exception: For games in which Instant Replay is not used, a halftime Targeting video review as outlined in the Penalty section of Rule 9-1-3 & 9-1-4 may be completed).
 

Major Editorial Changes

 
Players Numbering – (Rule 1-4-2-d)
Currently, if a player enters the game after changing their jersey number during the game, the player must report to the Referee. For clarity, if a player enters the game with a number different than is on the game day roster, that player must report to the Referee. A player who enters the game after changing their number or with a different number than is on the game day roster and does not report commits a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
 
Prohibited Field Equipment – (Rule 1-4-11)
Editorial changes to a broad number of issues were made within Rule 1-4-11.
(* indicates experimental rule from the previous season) 

• *Only head coaches may be interviewed in the intermission between the first and second periods, during the halftime intermission and during the intermission between the third and fourth periods. The head coach interviews between the first and second periods and the third and fourth periods may not occur during live action and must occur during a regularly scheduled broadcast timeout. The broadcast timeout may not be extended to accommodate the interview.  The location of the interview shall be just outside the team area.
• *After a change of possession or timeout, one camera is permitted from the television broadcast onto the playing enclosure for the purpose of capturing team personnel entering the field of play. The broadcast camera is not permitted to enter the team area or team huddle and must exit the field of play when players enter the huddle or line up in a formation. The broadcast camera is restricted to the area outside the hash marks.
• *Following a Touchdown, one camera is permitted from the television broadcast into the end zone for the purpose of capturing team personnel reaction.  The camera must immediately exit the end zone and field of play when the ball is ready for play for the Try Down.
• Institutional videographers may be in the team area as a part of that institution’s 50 credentialed individuals. This video may not be used during any live broadcast or digital stream of the game.  (Previous rule limited the number of Institutional Videographers to one.)
• Institutional ball personnel are prohibited from wearing smart watches or any communications technology while on the opponent’s sideline. 

Dead Ball and Loose Ball – (Rule 12-3-3-d-3)
If a passer is ruled down or out of bounds prior to throwing a pass and the replay official has indisputable video evidence that the ball was released prior to the dead ball ruling, replay can rule on the immediate continuing action. If the pass is caught by either team, they are awarded possession at that spot with no advance. If the pass is incomplete, the down counts.
 
Penalty Enforcement after Replay Review – (Rule 12-3-6-i & j)
Rules language added that codifies penalty enforcement after replay reviews.  Fouls that carry 5-yard and 10-yard penalties are not enforced if the ruling is overturned, and they become dead ball fouls. Personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct fouls are always enforced, regardless of the outcome of a replay review.