Memorandum To: MIAA Football Officials From: Dennis Donovan, Football Officials Representative on the MIAA Football Committee Re: 2011 NCAA Changes & Modifications as they pertain to MIAA Football Date: June 25, 2011 Note: At its meeting on May 9, 2011, the MIAA Football committee voted to adopt all of the changes made in the 2011 NCAA rule book. CHANGE from RULE BOOK: Please note that the on June 22, 2011, the Secretary Editor for the NCAA Rules, Rogers Redding posted a further change in new rule 9-1-6 Exception 2-(c), with regard to Team B Blocking Below the Waist. This new change is reflected in this document. The new wording of 9-1-6 Exception 2-(c) is: (c) Players of the defensive team may block below the waist until the ball has gone more than five yards beyond the neutral zone. However, they may not block below the waist against a Team A player in position to receive a backward pass. They also may not block below the waist against an eligible Team A receiver beyond the neutral zone unless attempting to get to the ball or the ball carrier. A webpage with all documents communicated from the NCAA with regard to the 2011 changes as well as Notes and Interpretations are posted at: http://www.emaifo.net/2011ruleschanges.html This webpage is on the EMAIFO website and made public to all MIAA football officials. It will be updated as further documents are released by the NCAA/CFO. It is recommended that all officials read the notes provided by Rogers Redding with regard to how the rules are interpreted and how they should be officiated. The following notes are to enumerate the 2011 NCAA Football Rule changes. It will be done in Rule order. Note that there were major rewrites in several places. Many rewrites simply express the former rule in new words that don t change the meaning, but there are several instances where the meanings have been changed or explicitly clarify how the rule should be interpreted. Also, every change in the book is not listed on the Rule Change and Editorial Change pages in the front of the book, there are many changes not listed that have impact on how we officiate the game. All changes in the book are not listed here (there are just too many). See the 2011 NCAA Rules Changes Presentation.pdf file on the webpage listed above for more changes. Quick Synopsis of the Major changes by Topic: Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls, 10-Second Subtraction from Game Clock, Blocking Below the Waist, Blocking Out of Bounds, Disqualified Players, Ball Carrier s Helmet Off does not stop clock, Too many men on the field, Some Illegal Shifts may be a False Start, Intentional Grounding, Airborne Ball Carrier: Extending the Goal-Line Plane, Interlocking Legs
Rule 1: Overview: Major rewrite, many of the details in the equipment and the field diagrams were moved to appendices. Scrimmage down requirements and Scrimmage Kick Formation (old 1-4-2-b) has been moved to in 7-1-4-a-5 1-4-6-a Towels Any player may wear a towel, but the towel must be white and no larger than 4 x 12 and have no markings or lettering except the team logo. 1-4-6-b Gloves this has no impact on MIAA games. MIAA rules have provided that gloves could of any color for a few years now. 1-4-11-a-Exception TV Monitors this does not apply to MIAA games. 1-1-5-b Captains Removed reference to Captains first announced choice as being final. 1-4-4-a-1 Helmet Chinstraps Snapped This emphasizes the importance of ensuring that a player s helmet is worn properly. They removed the directive to warn a player when the snaps were not snapped. 1-4-9 Coach s Certification must be IN WRITING. (Each assignor should determine how they want to handle this.) Rule 2: 2-12-2 Goal Line The Plane of the goal line extends between and includes the pylons. The goal line plane no longer extends beyond the pylon unless the ball carrier touches the ground in the end zone or a pylon (see 8-2-1-a). 2-27-12-b Disqualified Player A disqualified player must leave the playing enclosure. He must remain under team supervision out of view of the field for the remainder of the game (see 9-2-6). 2-22-1-a Shift Clarifies that a change of stance simultaneous with a player in motion constitutes a shift. 2-27-4 Lineman All linemen now can be approximately parallel to the line of scrimmage 2-27-4-d Back Redefined as a player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap or a player who does not break the plane of the waistline of the nearest Team A lineman 2-27-5 Passer Removed requirement that a pass be legal for the player to be considered a passer. This means you could have a roughing the passer foul against a player who throws an illegal forward pass.
Rule 3: 3-4-4 10 Second Subtraction When the game clock is running with less than one minute in either half, if a player of either team commits a foul that causes the clock to stop, officials may subtract 10 seconds from the game clock at the option of the offended team. Fouls that fall into this category include but are limited to: False Start, Encroachment, Offside with contact, Incomplete Illegal forward pass, Intentional Grounding, Illegal forward or Backward pass to stop the clock. The offended team may accept the yardage and the 10 second subtraction or just the yardage (note: if the yardage is declined, then the 10 second subtraction is declined by rule). If the fouling team has a timeout remaining, they may avoid the 10 second subtraction by using a timeout. If time is taken off the clock, then the game clock starts on the ready for play signal. If time is NOT taken off the clock, the clock starts on the snap regardless of the clock status prior to the penalty. Note: the changes in 3-5-3, 7-1-2-b-5 and 7-1-3-b have 10 second subtraction rule implications. 3-5-3 Too many men on the field - All fouls pertaining to too many men on the field whether before or after the snap is now covered under Illegal Substitution and will carry only a 5 yard penalty. Officials are instructed to shut down the play if a team has 12 players on the field and the snap is imminent or has just occurred and administer a dead ball foul for illegal substitution. In the event that the play is allowed to continue (i.e. the official is not sure that a team has 12 players participating until the end of the play), administer as a live ball illegal substitution - previous spot 5 yard penalty. Note: The foul called illegal participation has been removed from the rules. 3-2-3-a-1 Period Extension Clarifies that if time expires in a period and there is a foul is against the team in possession (when the foul occurs) AND it is a loss of down penalty, we do NOT extend the period. Removal The clock does NOT stop when a ball carrier s helmet comes completely off. The play is dead, but we no longer stop the clock. (NCAA 2009-10: 3-3-2-e-10 was removed). Rule 4: 4-1-3-b (Exception) Exception for holder with knee on the ground If there is a kicker in position at the snap, then the holder may keep his knee on the ground even if the kicker goes in motion and is no longer in position to make the kick. This officially makes the trick plays legal when a kicker leaves his kicking position and the holder stays on the ground. Rule 6: 6-1-10 Wedge Just a reminder about last year s rule change with regards to illegal wedge formations on free kick plays, this is the first time it has appeared in the rule book. 6-3-14 3 on 1 blocking on place kicks If Team A is in a formation to attempt a place kick (field goal or try) it is illegal for three Team B players on their line of scrimmage inside the blocking zone to align shoulder-to-shoulder and move forward together after the snap with primary contact against a single Team A player. 6-3-11 Team A batting of scrimmage kick that has crossed Team B s goal line The change specifies that this is a special illegal touch that is not cancelled when there is an accepted penalty.
Rule 7: Overview: Major rewrite of sections 7-1 and 7-3-2. It is now legal for linemen to interlock legs (NCAA 2009-10: 7-1-3- b-2 was removed) 7-1-2-b-5 False Start After the ready for play, if the offensive team never has all players set for one full second prior to the snap, it is a false start (dead-ball foul). Note: If they become set for one full second and then make an illegal shift, it is a live-ball foul at the snap (rule 7-1-4-c). 7-3-2-h Intentional Grounding The requirement for the receiver to have a reasonable opportunity to catch the pass has been removed. If the passer throws the ball into an area where there is an eligible receiver, he can avoid intentional grounding. Mere presence of an eligible receiver is enough to avoid a foul for intentional grounding. 7-1-3-b 9 Yard Mark violations If Team A does not conform to the 9-yard marks rule, it is now a dead ball foul when the ball is snapped. The foul does not occur until the ball is snapped because Team A could remedy the situation until the ball is snapped. 7-1-5-a-5 Unabated to the QB Clarifies that unabated to the QB is a foul (or toward any Team A back). 7-3-2-h Exception The only player who qualifies for the Intentional Grounding exception is the player who received the snap. This is the first Team A player who gains possession of the ball during the down, usually the quarterback. Rule 8: 8-2-1-a Goal line Plane Extended for a Touchdown The goal-line plane does not extend beyond the pylons except in two specific cases: when a ball carrier touches the pylon, or when a ball carrier touches the ground in the end zone. If a ball carrier becomes airborne either voluntarily or involuntarily (and does not touch a pylon or the ground in the end zone), the goal-line is not extended and to score a touchdown, the ball carrier must then pass the ball through the goal-line plane between the pylons. If this airborne ball carrier does not pass the ball through the goal-line plane prior to being declared out-of-bounds, then the ball belongs to his team at the spot where the ball crossed the sideline prior to being declared out-of-bounds (Rule 4-2-4-d). 8-5-1-a-Exceptions Momentum Exceptions has been rewritten to condense repeated language. 8-5-1-a-Ex 3 Momentum Exception The ball must remain in the EZ for Momentum Exception to be in effect. If the ball is fumbled forward OB in the field of play, it is returned to the end zone where it is declared dead and Momentum Exception rules apply.
Rule 9: Overview: Section 9-1 has been totally rewritten and reorganized and NCAA 2009-10: 9-1-6 was moved to section 9-2. Section 9-2 was also reorganized. 9-1-6 Blocking Below the Waist The basic premise until 2011 was that Blocking Below the Waist was legal except in certain circumstances. In 2011, the basic premise for Blocking Below the Waist will change. Now the basic premise is that Blocking Below the Waist is illegal except in certain circumstances. That being said, there are some very minor changes to the actual circumstances when Blocking Below the Waist is illegal. The following are exceptions to blocking below the waist being illegal and apply on scrimmage downs that do not contain scrimmage kicks before any change of possession during the down: 1. Unrestricted Players Backs positioned completely inside the tackle box or Linemen less than 7 yards from the middle lineman may block below the waist anywhere on the field. (Note: this is not a change from 2010) 2. Restricted Players A Lineman that is positioned more than 7 yards from the middle lineman or a Back that has any part of his body outside the tackle box or a Player in motion at the snap. These Restricted players may only block below the waist along a north-south line (Rule 2-12-9) or towards their adjacent sideline. (New) 3. Adjacent Sideline A stationary player s adjacent sideline is the sideline on their side of the formation; a motion player s adjacent sideline is the sideline on the side of the formation they are on when the ball is snapped, for both stationary and motion players, the side of the formation is determined where the player is positioned with respect to the ball. If a motion player is positioned directly behind the snapper when the ball is snapped, then his adjacent sideline is the one he is moving towards. 4. (New) Defensive Players Players of the defensive team may block below the waist until the ball has gone more than five yards beyond the neutral zone. However, they may not block below the waist against a Team A player in position to receive a backward pass. They also may not block below the waist against an eligible Team A receiver beyond the neutral zone unless attempting to get to the ball or the ball carrier. WHAT S NEW: 1. There is no longer a 10 yard limit for restricted players (restricted players are restricted for the entire down, on the entire field); 2. Restricted players may not block below the waist after they go beyond the original position of the ball laterally (their adjacent sideline at the snap is the only sideline they are allowed to block below the waist toward during the entire down); 3. Defensive players may only block below the waist until the ball has gone 5 yards beyond the neutral zone; 4. If a play involves a quick kick, blocking below the waist is restricted for all players from the snap. 9-1-7-c Blocking Out of Bounds It is illegal for any player to initiate a block against an opponent who is out of bounds. The spot of the foul is where the blocker crosses the sideline. 9-2-1 & 9-2-2 Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls Penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct fouls by players will be administered according to when the foul occurs, just as with all other common fouls. Now unsportsmanlike conduct fouls will be live ball fouls, like holding, clipping, etc. if they occur during live ball action. Unsportsmanlike conduct fouls that are committed by non-players (coach, substitute, etc.) while the ball is live, it will be administered as a dead ball foul. Unsportsmanlike fouls by the defense now carries an automatic first down. If an unsportsmanlike conduct foul is will be administered as a dead ball foul. 9-1-16-a-5 It is not roughing or running into the kicker if a team B player is blocked into the kicker, it no longer matters if the block is legal or illegal.
9-1-11 Leaping It is not a foul for leaping if a Team A player initiates contact with a Team B player who leaps. 9-2-6 Disqualified Player A disqualified player must leave the playing enclosure. He must remain under team supervision out of view of the field for the remainder of the game. 9-4-1, 9-4-2, 9-4-3 Illegally batting a loose ball The penalty yardage for illegally batting a loose ball has been reduced to 10 yards. However, it stills carries a loss of down when appropriate. 9-4-4 Illegally kicking a loose ball The penalty yardage for illegally kicking a loose ball has been reduced to 10 yards. However, it stills carries a loss of down when appropriate. Rule 10: 10-2-3-e Post-scrimmage Kick Enforcement - Clarified that one requirement of Post-scrimmage kick enforcement is when Team B will next snap the ball. This was a change from saying that it would be used when Team A was not in legal possession. 10-2-5-a-1 Touchdown Play Live ball unsportsmanlike conduct fouls against the opponent of the team scoring a TD can be enforced on the try or the succeeding kickoff. This addition was necessary due to the change in the enforcement of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls.