INDIANAPOLIS -- Ohio State football coach Ryan Day called it “the walk of shame” — the slumped-shoulders shuffle a player makes from his sideline to the locker room after being ejected for a targeting penalty.
That aspect of one of the most controversial calls in football may soon change — if only cosmetically.
The NCAA Football Rules Committee recommended Friday that players flagged for targeting would still be disqualified. However, they may remain in the team area rather than being banished to the locker room.
All other aspects of the targeting rule would remain the same.
“It’s changing player behavior, and it’s such an important part of our game,' said Steve Shaw, NCAA secretary-rules editor for football.
Some around the sport had proposed a significant change to the targeting penalty, treating it in a manner similar to the Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2 foul in basketball. A player determined to have committed the more severe targeting penalty — either due to manner or location of the hit or some determination of intent — would be ejected.
Stanford coach David Shaw, chair of the NCAA football rules committee, said that after reviewing targeting calls since the rule was adjusted a year ago, coaches were satisfied that targeting is being correctly called.
“We felt like we built that into our rule,” David Shaw said. “We’re always going to be very conscious of trends, and we think we’re trending in the right way. Of the ones we looked at and the ones we talked about, we feel the way the rule is right now is getting rid of the fouls that should not be fouls, so there would be no reason for targeting 1 and targeting 2.”
Other ejection fouls, such as fighting or multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, will still result in players being sent away from the field.
All rules proposals must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to meet April 16.
Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade was sent to the locker room after being ejected for targeting in the first half of the Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinals.
The progressive penalty for targeting will also remain. Players flagged three times in the same season face a one-game suspension.
Among the other rules changes proposed:
• The addition of the number 0 as an acceptable uniform number. Also, no more than two players on a roster may share a uniform number.
• The jurisdiction of the game officials be moved to 90 minutes before kickoff, from the previous 60. Additionally, a coach must be on the field for pregame warm-ups, and all players present must be identified by number.
• Replay officials to complete video reviews in less than two minutes.
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