Rogers Redding, the national coordinator of College Football Officiating, provides insights about rules changes and the mindset of college football referees. The CFO is the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level.

The NCAA football rules committee recommended a very small number of changes for the 2017 season, and these were approved last week by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP). Because 2017 is the "off-year" for changes, the committee was limited to making rules that directly impact the safety of the players.  Here are the final changes:

 

KNEE PADS (Rule 1-4-4-d)

Beginning in 2018, players' pants must have knee pads such that the pants and the pads cover the knees. Previously, the rules recommended that the knees be covered, but this was not required. The committee is delaying implementation of the mandate until 2018 because a number of schools have already bought equipment for the year. There is great concern throughout the football world about the tendency for some players to wear "biker's shorts" that only come to within several inches of the knee. This is a safety issue as well as one that does not present a good look for the game.

 

LEAPING AND HURDLING (Rule 9-1-11)

No defensive player who runs forward from beyond the neutral zone may leap or hurdle in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or try. Before this change, a player committed a foul only if he landed on another player. This year, the committee took note of some players being injured in making these moves when trying to block a place kick, so the change is an attempt to take this leaping and hurdling action out of the game.

 

HORSE COLLAR TACKLE (Rule 9-1-15)  

The nameplate area of the jersey is added to the inside collar of the shoulder pad and jersey as places where it is illegal for a tackler to grab a ball carrier and immediately pull him to the ground. The committee recognizes that on occasion a tackler grabs the nameplate area and jerks the ball carrier down, with the same effect as if his grip was on the collar. 

In future columns, we will consider some areas of the game where the rules committee is making points of emphasis that could lead to rules changes in future years.

2017 NFF Institutional Academic Membership 

The 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Membership program is now open. Each year, the NFF invites universities, colleges, conferences and bowl games from across the country to provide support for NFF programs through its Institutional Academic Membership Program. The program allows the NFF to greatly enhance the power of football's collective voice while actively building a stronger national platform for the game with community leaders, educators and the media.

Those that joined this week include Presidential Members LSU and Pennsylvania; Founder Member Georgia Southern; and Executive Members Arkansas State, Missouri Valley Football Conference and Montana State.

Click here to see all of the 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Members.

2003 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eli Manning (Mississippi), a member of the Alumni Association.

2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association 

Since 1959, the National Football Foundation has annually recognized the best and brightest college players, presenting them with prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments. The $18,000 postgraduate scholarships are presented at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City. 

Launched in 2008, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association provides a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF's present efforts. 

Click here to see all of the members of the 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association.