College Football Rules

Although college football rules are mostly the same as for high school, and NFL games there are some small differences.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee determines the playing rules for Division I, II, and III games. The NAIA, although it is a separate organization, uses the NCAA rules too. Here are the NCAA rules to make sure your touchdown will count:

Taken from Wikipedia:

• A pass is ruled complete if one of the receiver’s feet are inbounds at the time of the catch. In the NFL, both feet must be inbounds.
• A player is considered down when any part of his body other than the feet or hands touches the ground (from a tackle or otherwise). In the NFL, a player is active until he is tackled or forced down another way by a member of the opposing team (down by contact).
• A play may not begin until the referee declares the ball ready for play, at which time the play clock (25 seconds) starts. In the NFL, a similar rule requires the next play to begin within 40 seconds from the end of the previous play.
• The clock starts when the referee declares the ball ready for play, unless the previous play was ruled out of bounds. The clock then starts on the snap. Also, as of the 2007 season, the clock stops to allow the officials to move the chains on first downs, and begins again once the referee declares the ball ready for play. In the NFL, the clock does not stop in this situation.
• Overtime was introduced to Division I-A in 1996, eliminating ties. When a game goes to overtime, each team is given one possession from its opponent’s twenty-five yard line. The team leading after both possessions is declared the winner. If the teams remain tied, overtime periods continue, with a coin flip determining the first possession. Possessions alternate with each overtime, until one team leads the other at the end of the overtime. Starting with the 3rd overtime, teams must attempt a two-point conversion after they score a touchdown. (In the NFL, overtime is decided by a 15-minute sudden-death quarter, and regular season games can still end in a tie if neither team scores. Overtime for regular season games in the NFL began with the 1974 season. In the post-season, if the teams are still tied, teams will play additional overtime periods until either team scores.)
• Tries are attempted from the three-yard (3 m) line. The NFL uses the two-yard (2 m) line.
• The defensive team may score two points on a point-after touchdown attempt by returning a blocked kick, fumble, or interception into the opposition’s end zone. In addition, if the defensive team gains possession, but then moves backwards into the endzone and is stopped, a one point safety will be awarded to the offense. In the NFL, a conversion attempt ends when the defending team gains possession of the football.
• The two-minute warning is not used in college football, except in rare cases where the scoreboard clock has malfunctioned and is not being used.
• There is an option to use instant replay review of officiating decisions. Division I-Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) schools use replay in virtually all games; replay is rarely used in lower division games. Every play is subject to booth review with coaches only having one challenge. In the NFL, challenges are only automatic in the final two minutes of each half.
• In the 2006 season, the game clock was started when the ball was declared ready for play after the defensive team (during a scrimmage down) or the receiving kick (during a free kick down) was awarded a first down, reducing the time of games. This rule only lasted one year.
• In the 1984 season, the ball was placed on the 30-yard (27 m) line (instead of the 20) if a kickoff sailed through the end zone on the fly and untouched. This rule was rescinded after one year.
• Among other rule changes to 2007, kickoffs have been moved from the 35-yard (32 m) line back five yards (4.57 m) to the 30-yard (30 m) line to match that of the NFL. Some coaches and officials are questioning this rule change as it could lead to more injuries to the players as there will likely be more kickoff returns. The rationale for the rule change was to help reduce dead time in the game.

By: CampusCompare