2009-10 NCAA® FOOTBALL | RULES AND INTERPRETATIONS FR 09 at student-athletes member institutions 23 sports 1,000 The NCAA salutes the more than The NCAA salutes the more participating in more than more 400,000 NCAA 71809-6/09 Sportsmanship is a core value of the NCAA. The NCAA’s Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct has identi!ed respect and integrity as two critical elements of sportsmanship and launched an awareness and action campaign at the NCAA Convention in January 2009. Athletics administrators may download materials and view best practices ideas at the Web sites below: www.NCAA.org, then click on “Academics and Athletics,” then “Sportsmanship” and www.ncaachampspromotion.com 2009-10 NCAA® FOOTBALL RULES AND INTERPRETATIONS NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION [ISSN 0736-5144] THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX 6222 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46206-6222 317/917-6222 WWW.NCAA.ORG MAY 2009 Manuscript Prepared By: Rogers Redding, Secretary-Rules Editor, NCAA Football Rules Committee. Edited By: Ty Halpin, Associate Director for Playing Rules Administration. NCAA, NCAA logo and NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION are registered marks of the Association and use in any manner is prohibited unless prior approval is obtained from the Association. COPYRIGHT, 1974, BY THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION REPPRINTED: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Contents page NCAA Football Rules Committee ................................................................FR-4 Committee Action for 2009-10 .....................................................................FR-6 Index to Editorial Changes............................................................................FR-7 Points of Emphasis ........................................................................................FR-8 Sportsmanship Statement ............................................................................FR-11 The Football Code .......................................................................................FR-12 Official NCAA Football Rules....................................................................FR-16 Field Diagram Details .................................................................................FR-18 Diagram of Field .........................................................................................FR-19 Blocking Zone/Tackle Box Diagrams ........................................................FR-20 Rule 1—The Game, Field, Players and Equipment ...............................FR-21 Rule 2—Definitions ................................................................................FR-42 Rule 3—Periods, Time Factors and Substitutions .................................FR-63 Rule 4—Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Out of Bounds ..................................FR-78 Rule 5—Series of Downs, Line to Gain.................................................FR-82 Rule 6—Kicks .........................................................................................FR-86 Rule 7—Snapping and Passing the Ball .................................................FR-95 Rule 8—Scoring ....................................................................................FR-108 Rule 9—Conduct of Players and Others Subject to Rules ..................FR-116 Rule 10—Penalty Enforcement ............................................................FR-133 Rule 11—The Officials: Jurisdiction and Duties .................................FR-139 Rule 12—Instant Replay .......................................................................FR-140 Summary of Penalties ...........................................................................FR-147 Appendix A—Guidelines for Serious On-Field Injury ............................FR-152 Appendix B—Lightning Guidelines .........................................................FR-153 Code of Officials’ Signals .........................................................................FR-158 Official NCAA Football Rules Interpretations ..............................................FI-1 Table of Contents for Approved Rulings .......................................................FI-2 Index to New Approved Rulings ...................................................................FI-3 Index to Rules ............................................................................................. IND-1 FR-3 NCAA Football Rules Committee Chair Secretary-Rules Mike Bellotti Editor Division I (FBS) Rogers Redding University of Oregon Division I (FBS) Eugene, Oregon Southeastern 97403 Conference Term expires Birmingham, 9-1-10* Alabama 35203 Barry Alvarez Frank Carr Division I (FBS) Division III University of Earlham College, Wisconsin, Madison Richmond, Indiana Madison, Wisconsin 47374 53711 Term expires 9-1-10* Term expires 9-1-13* Scot Dapp Randy Edsall Division III Division I (FBS) Moravian College University of Bethlehem, Connecticut Pennsylvania 18018 Storrs, Connecticut Term expires 06269 9-1-12* Term expires 9-1-11* * Not eligible for re-election. FR-4 NCAA FOOTBALL RULES COMMITTEE FR-5 Chris Hatcher Tony Ierulli Division I (FCS) Division III Georgia Southern Maryville College University Maryville, Tennessee Statesboro, Georgia 37804 30460 Term expires Term expires 9-1-12* 9-1-12* Todd Knight Rocky Rees Division II Division II Ouachita Baptist Shippensburg University University of Arkadelphia, Pennsylvania Arkansas 71998 Shippensburg, Term expires Pennsylvania 17257 9-1-11* Term expires 9-1-10* Pat Riepma Tony Samuel Division II Division I (FCS) Northwood Southeast Missouri University State University (Michigan) Cape Girardeau, Midland, Michigan Missouri 63701 48640 Term expires Term expires 9-1-13* 9-1-10* Ky Snyder Division I (FCS) University of San Diego San Diego, California 92110 Term expires 9-1-10* * Not eligible for re-election. Major Rules Changes for 2009-10 The numbers and letters in the left column refer to rule, section and article, respectively. Changed or altered items are identified in the rules by a shaded background, unless the change results in the deletion of the entire segment containing the change. MAJOR RULES CHANGES 1-4-3-a ...................Visiting team may wear colored jerseys .................................. FR-31 2-3-6 ........................Blocking zone defined ............................................................. FR-45 2-24-1 (deleted) ......Spearing definition eliminated ................................................. FR-55 2-33 .........................Three-and-One Principle of penalty enforcement defined ..... FR-62 2-34 .........................Tackle box defined ................................................................... FR-62 3-2-3 ........................No extension of period on loss-of-down penalty .................... FR-67 3-2-4 and 3-3-5 .......40-second play clock for Team B injury ...........................FR-68, 73 9-1-2-q ....................Chin strap included in face mask foul ................................... FR-119 9-1-4 ........................Roughing the kicker restricted to tackle box ......................... FR-120 9-6 ...........................Mandatory conference review of flagrant fouls .................... FR-132 FR-6 Index to Editorial Changes For 2009-10, there are a large number of editorial changes, far too many to be listed in detail. Significant organizational changes in Rules 2, 3 and 10 are intended to clarify and simplify the rules for starting and stopping the clock and for enforcing penalties. Other editorial changes are less comprehensive but are also intended to achieve clarity and simplification. Below is a list of the sections within each rule that contain editorial changes of particular note. EDITORIAL CHANGES Rule 7 Rule 1 Sections 1, 2 and 3. Sections 1 and 4. Rule 8 Rule 2 Sections 2 and 4. Sections 2, 3, 7, 11, 14, 18, 24, 25 and Rule 9 31. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Rule 3 Rule 10 Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4. Sections 1 and 2. Rule 4 Rule 11 Section 1. Rule 12 Rule 5 Sections 1, 2, 3 and 6. Sections 1 and 2. Rule 6 Sections 1, 3 and 5. FR-7 Points of Emphasis The NCAA Football Rules Committee has extraordinary pride in the Football Code, which was introduced in 1916 and has been updated several times. These guidelines form a harmony of agreement among coaches, players, game officials and administrators that places each contest in an environment of fairness and sportsmanship. It is noted that the Code emphasizes the following unethical practices: “Using the helmet as a weapon. The helmet is for protection of the player...” and “players and coaches should emphasize the elimination of targeting and initiating contact against a defenseless opponent and/or with the crown of the helmet.” Every participant in the collegiate football scene shares a responsibility for ethical conduct that enhances the future of this American tradition. PROTECTION OF DEFENSELESS PLAYERS—In 2008, the committee introduced a separate rule prohibiting initiating contact with and targeting a defenseless opponent (Rule 9-1-3). The following are situations in which defenseless players are susceptible to serious injury: 7KH TXDUWHUEDFN PRYLQJ GRZQ WKH OLQH RI VFULPPDJH ZKR KDV KDQGHG RU pitched the ball to a teammate, and then makes no attempt to participate further in the play; 7KH NLFNHU ZKR LV LQ WKH DFW RI NLFNLQJ