NCAA Rules Survey

[IndyBison]

Yeah its not like you guys need or want to learn more rules.

The rule changes aren't hard to learn. And they usually aren't new rules, they are just changes to existing rules. They are discussed at several clinics and study groups and applied at scrimmages on both the Spring and Fall. By the time the season starts they are usually well understood.

Like anything officiating is harder than you think but once you start and put in the time it's easier than you realize. I've watched people farm my entire life and it doesn't look that hard, but if I tried it, it would be harder than expected. But for those who have done it for years it's not that hard. And as farming methods and equipment change, they adapt easily. You could apply the same thing to any other career, avocation, or hobby.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[HerdBot]

A hurdle is defined as jumping over an opponent with your foot or knee first and the opponent is not touching the ground with anything other than their feet. So if the opponent is on the ground or has his hand on the ground it's not a hurdle. If you dive over a pile head first it's not a hurdle.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

So this is a penalty by those rules. If he doesn't hurdle him there is a collision or a tackle by his knees and the refs call back a great offensive play. Sounds like a lose lose.

[ZHerd]

So this is a penalty by those rules. If he doesn't hurdle him there is a collision or a tackle by his knees and the refs call back a great offensive play. Sounds like a lose lose.

It’s a definite lose lose caused by snowflake control freaks who are making a rough tough all in game lose some of the elements that make the game special. Maybe that “coaches committee” should go coach soccer or baseball if they so desperately want a safe sport.

[Bisonator98]

I would say generally yes. The head first is usually a dive on to a pile so it's much lower while a hurdle could result in either kicking an opponent or getting flipped head over heels. The latter is much less likely on a head first dive.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I can't say I've ever seen a player seriously injured by hurdling but I've seen guys paralyzed by diving head first. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

[IndyBison]

I can't say I've ever seen a player seriously injured by hurdling but I've seen guys paralyzed by diving head first. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

There is a difference between targeting and diving over a pile. I've seen examples of players hurt and/or flipped seriously when trying to hurdle an opponent. NCAA did ban something similar to diving headfirst over the protectors on a punt a couple years ago for the same reason. The similarity there to hurdling is the opponents are upright. Players trying to hurdle or leap over the protectors were often flipped like a hurdling runner. There is a reason hurdling (other than the runner) has been illegal for many years at both the NCAA and NFHS level. It's a very dangerous act. I'm not sure if the NFL has rules about hurdling. This isn't a new thing being considered by rules makers because they are snowflakes. Ever since I started officiating there has been discussion about why NCAA allowed runners to hurdle. I'm sure this isn't the first time the rules committee has discussed it. I have no idea if it will pass and really don't care either way, but to say it isn't extremely dangerous is not logical. It should definitely be a legitimate discussion.

[bisonp]

There is a difference between targeting and diving over a pile. I've seen examples of players hurt and/or flipped seriously when trying to hurdle an opponent. NCAA did ban something similar to diving headfirst over the protectors on a punt a couple years ago for the same reason. The similarity there to hurdling is the opponents are upright. Players trying to hurdle or leap over the protectors were often flipped like a hurdling runner. There is a reason hurdling (other than the runner) has been illegal for many years at both the NCAA and NFHS level. It's a very dangerous act. I'm not sure if the NFL has rules about hurdling. This isn't a new thing being considered by rules makers because they are snowflakes. Ever since I started officiating there has been discussion about why NCAA allowed runners to hurdle. I'm sure this isn't the first time the rules committee has discussed it. I have no idea if it will pass and really don't care either way, but to say it isn't extremely dangerous is not logical. It should definitely be a legitimate discussion.

Pretty sure they do not. Here was a failed attempt:



Easy to see how that could have ended badly, though.

[ZHerd]

Pretty sure they do not. Here was a failed attempt:



Easy to see how that could have ended badly, though.

I’ve seen many hurdles/hurdle attempts and never seen anyone injured though the potential was difinitely there on some of them. Players going airborne know this, let them make their own call. If we really want to preemptively get injuries out of football then time to go 2 hand touch

[bisonp]

I’ve seen many hurdles/hurdle attempts and never seen anyone injured though the potential was difinitely there on some of them. Players going airborne know this, let them make their own call. If we really want to preemptively get injuries out of football then time to go 2 hand touch

Evidently they kept the rule in place in high school by giving examples of serious injuries, though I can't find those examples.

http://www.ecfo.org/schedules/2012_Interps.pdf

Recently, national and local media have identified some of these plays at the collegiate and professional levels as “spectacular feats” and glorified the individual’s athletic ability instead of pointing out the heightened potential for harm. Little regard has been given to the fact that attempting to “hurdle” a defender increases the risk of injury to both the hurdler and tackler! The NFHS SMAC requested that this rule not be changed and backed up its request by showing several incidences where players were severely injured while attempting this act! The NFHS Football Rules Committee concurred with the SMAC and did not change the hurdling rule.

[HerdBot]

Evidently they kept the rule in place in high school by giving examples of serious injuries, though I can't find those examples.

http://www.ecfo.org/schedules/2012_Interps.pdf

They could come up with an example of injury for every possible scenario in football and they do it to pretend like they are making the game totally safe. It's not a totally safe game. Due to medical privacy laws, that may be the reason no examples were given. And what's severely injured? Torn ACL? Paralyzed? MCL? Separated shoulder? Skinned elbow?

If I wanted to make a case, I could give several examples of QBs who got severely injured doing some routine things like diving in to the end zone. (both Carson Wentz and Cole Davis)

[bisonp]

They could come up with an example of injury for every possible scenario in football and they do it to pretend like they are making the game totally safe. It's not a totally safe game. Due to medical privacy laws, that may be the reason no examples were given. And what's severely injured? Torn ACL? Paralyzed? MCL? Separated shoulder? Skinned elbow?

If I wanted to make a case, I could give several examples of QBs who got severely injured doing some routine things like diving in to the end zone. (both Carson Wentz and Cole Davis)

I don't disagree with that. The bottom line I guess is that they had examples and we have nothing but speculation to work with. We don't really know how dangerous it is or is not. I think everybody can agree it's a fairly rare play though, which means removing it isn't going to affect much. So while I don't want to see that rule put in place, it's not going to bother me either.