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Targeting penalties could get another tweak for 2017
The administration of targeting penalties could receive another change for the better.
According to CBS Sports, the NCAA rules committee is considering adding a third option to a targeting foul. Currently, if a player is deemed to have committed a targeting foul after a replay review, he’s assessed a 15-yard penalty and ejected.
If a targeting foul is overturned or doesn’t happen, both the penalty and ejection don’t happen.
The new third option would split the difference between yes and no. If replay determines the targeting foul was inconclusive — if it can’t be confirmed or overturned — the ejection of the player goes away while the penalty still stands.
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The third option is a much better way to keep the penalty and overturn the ejection. When the targeting rule was first implemented in 2013, the 15-yard assessment stood even if the penalty was overturned and the player was allowed to stay in the game.
It’s also a way to be fair to defenders, especially in the early second halves of games. The ejection penalty calls for a player to miss the first half of his team’s next game if he gets called for a targeting penalty in the second half. Now, if the penalty isn’t egregious — or at least egregious enough to be confirmed on replay — the player can stay in the game, albeit with the opposing team gaining 15 yards.
“There are certainly some that are deserving,” American Football Coaches director Todd Berry told CBS. “But there are also some where the receiver is up in the air and the defensive player doesn’t launch, but he’s also changing his vertical plane. Where do you gauge hitting that person? That’s a tough thing to do instantaneously. Athletically, I don’t even know if they’re capable of doing that at the college level. Even the NFL guys can’t pull that off, either.”
Targeting calls have increased ever year in the four seasons the rule has been around according to a chart from the NCAA that CBS provided. After 55 were called in 2013 (31 upheld), 195 fouls were called in 2016. 144 penalties were upheld while 51 were overturned.
The proposals would need to be approved by the NCAA rules committee in March to go in effect in 2017.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
