South Carolina games against Ole Miss, Illinois among contests to spark NCAA rulebook rewrites
The NCAA has announced a pair of significant approved rule changes for the 2025 football season. Both changes seem to be directly influenced by South Carolina football games from the 2024 season.
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First, according to the announcement, officials will handle injury timeouts differently moving forward. Now, if a team’s medical personnel have to enter the field of play after the officials have spotted the ball, then that team will be charged a timeout. If the team does not have a timeout, then officials will assess a 5-yard penalty. Previously, there was no consequence. Theoretically, this rule change will reduce late-clock injury timeouts and potential injury-feigning.
During this past season, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer lamented the substitution tactics of two opponents. Both Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Illinois headman Bret Bielema oversaw what appeared to be strategic injury-feigning. When the Rebels or Illini wanted to slow down the Gamecock offense or disrupt their rhythm, a player would drop to the ground. Play then would have to stop momentarily. Against Ole Miss, one Rebel defensive lineman left the game with an apparent injury at least four times but returned after each instance. After one such example, he celebrated with teammates on the sideline.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was another coach who logged public complaints about Kiffin’s tactics. Both Heupel and Beamer expressed hope that the NCAA rules committee would address the issue in the offseason. Based on the NCAA’s report, the rules committee has answered those hopes.
In the Illinois game, Bielema also substituted players late (legally) when USC substituted. This created problems for the Carolina offense, forcing timeouts and delay of game penalties. This new rule change will not affect those situations.
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The other approved rule change also relates to the South Carolina-Illinois matchup.
Adding to the tensions between Beamer and Bielema, controversy ensued following a signal on a kickoff. Gamecock returner Juju McDowell threw his arms up in the shape of a “T,” something that some teams use to indicate they will not return the kick. However, Carolina used it to signal a fake, one that resulted in Nyck Harbor taking a long McDowell lateral out of the end zone to the 25-yard line.
McDowell did not signal for a fair catch, making the play legal. Beamer told reporters after the game that the Gamecocks cleared their actions with the officials before the contest. However, with that same signal used by some teams to indicate “no return,” the NCAA has made a change.
Now, if a player on a kick return team makes the “T” signal, the team gives up its right to return the kick. Essentially indicating a fair catch, any return following a “T” would be disallowed and could result in a delay of game penalty or even a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct foul.
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While those two rule changes will draw most of the attention, the NCAA announced several other updates to the rulebook. Some of the others are below:
- If a game goes to a third overtime, teams will have just one additional timeout for the rest of the game. Previously, teams received a new timeout at the beginning of each overtime period.
- Following replays, the terms “upheld” and “overturned” will be official terminology. The previous terms “stands” and “confirmed” will not be utilized.
- Coach-to-player helmet communication will extend to FCS football after a successful debut in FBS football last year.
