Rules review video: Targeting, replay tools, and an experiment with the kickoff line

2023 media video #7

National coordinator of football officials Steve Shaw posted his weekly video breaking down rules and interpretations from Week 6 of the college football season.

• Shaw shared statistics on targeting fouls. There have been 73 enforced targeting fouls in FBS this season, which is an average of 1 targeting foul in every 6 games (0.17 per game). This continues a downward trend that FBS has seen over the last 3 seasons. Shaw also mentioned that there have been 15 games that have gone to overtime in FBS.
• Targeting was seen again on a pass thrown incomplete in the end zone. Though the defender did a good job of not using his head to make the tackle, he still made forcible contact to the head of defenseless player.
• A ball carrier diving towards the goal line appeared to break the plane. Replay took a look to see if the runner was short of the goal line. The video showed the exact process that replay goes through, including using different angles to piece together the play.
• The Ivy League this season is trying something new: having kickoffs be from the 40 yard line instead of the 35. The goal of this new rule is to help the Ivy League kickers match the FBS kickers in being able to kick the ball into the end zone, subsequently decreasing the amount of returns in Ivy League play.
• On a kick return, the return team pitches the ball on a reverse and gains good yardage. After further review, replay determined that the ball was actually pitched forward, which resulted in an illegal forward pass penalty.
• During a kickoff, the receiving team motions for what is deemed an invalid fair catch signal. After catching the ball, the return team makes an attempt for a kick return. The officials immediately blow this play dead. Though the fair catch signal was invalid, the return team still gets the ball at the 25 yard line.
• A safety was ruled when the quarterback tried a last second pass to not take a sack in the end zone. While the pass was ruled incomplete, a flag was thrown for intentional grounding as there were no eligible receivers in the area. The foul occurred in the end zone, so a safety was called.