NCAA changes facemasking rules

[Grizaholic17]

I hope this hasn't been mentioned before. I searched the threads and haven't found it. So here it is.


Under the revised rule, grabbing the facemask incidentally will no longer be a penalty. However, any pulling or twisting of the facemask will result in a fifteen-yard personal foul penalty. In the past, incidental facemasking has resulted in a five-yard penalty.

Article Here (http://www.fanblogs.com/ncaa/007647.php)

Seems weird to me.

[4zach2b]

Ya... That could be a little more dangerous than they think it might be.

I agree, little weird.

4zach2b

[JayJ79]

eh, it just means that any intentional or dangerous facemask grasping will get the 15 yarder.

I wouldn't think that this change would lead to any increase in facemask contact. But I guess that depends on the officials calling it correctly, which isn't always the case.

[appfan2008]

seems silly to me...

it is very dangerous to even touch a facemask... i liked the old way on paper but we will have to see on the field...

[813Jag]

It doesn't seem like a big difference. It just rules out those pesky 5 yard penalties for brushing your hand over a facemask.

[MplsBison]

I like it because it's just one more judgment call taken out of the hands of refs.


IE, it was up to their discretion to call incidental or personal fouls. Now they either don't call it, which it shouldn't be most of the time, or a 15 yarder if the guy was going for it.

[BeauFoster]

I like it because it's just one more judgment call taken out of the hands of refs.


IE, it was up to their discretion to call incidental or personal fouls. Now they either don't call it, which it shouldn't be most of the time, or a 15 yarder if the guy was going for it.

Not really, it just shifts the burden. The official still has to determine whether it is grabbing or just touching. A player can still just move his head when his facemask is touched and get the personal foul call. I don't think it will make much of a difference in the game, and I never had a problem with the 5 yard penalty.

[Green26]

I'm all for eliminating any penalty for incidental touching or brushing of the facemask.

However, I don't under the wording of the rule explanation by the ncaa.

How can a facemask be "grabbed", without "pulling, twisting or turning" it, or causing something similar? It seems to me that if it is "grabbed", that should be a penalty.

Again, it's the incidental contact that doesn't inhibit the runner or player, and isn't dangerous at all, that should not cause a penalty.

Under this new definition, does an incidental contact, say brushing, that causes the player's head to turn slightly, result a penalty? Brushing doesn't seem to be grabbing to me. Brushing that causes the head to turn may or may not be something that should be penalized, in my view. Brushing causing a significant turn of the head ought to be a penalty.

My view is that all but the most incidental of brushing of a runner's facemask, should be a penalty, I think it impacts the runner's ability to keep running and looking where he wants to run and look.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I hope this hasn't been mentioned before. I searched the threads and haven't found it. So here it is.



Article Here (http://www.fanblogs.com/ncaa/007647.php)

Seems weird to me.

That will change nothing in the Big Sky... the zebras don't call them anyway. I remember on a couple of occasions looking through my photos after a play and seeing opposing fingers curled inside the facemask... and no penalty was called. xcoffeex

[GOKATS]

I like the change, the incidental contact always bothered me- way too subjective. But, as Screamin Eagle said, in the Big Sky the rule book is nothing more than a minor inconvenience that an official has to read to pass certification. On the field it really doesn't come into play.xwhistlex xwhistlex

BTW, I'm not being biased. I've been to many games around the Big Sky (I haven't been to Sac. St. or N. Colorado) and no matter where you go the fans agree about one thing- piss poor officiating.

[ngineer]

I agree that any 'grabbing' of the mask should be penalized 5 yards and any twisting or pulling yields 15 yds. The inadvertent hand merely passing along the mask without grabbing I can see being waived. But by maintaining a penalty for any grabbing of the mask will have a prophylactic effect on players being more aggressive about the head and safety should be the primary focus of any rule.xreadx

[JohnStOnge]

It doesn't seem like a big difference. It just rules out those pesky 5 yard penalties for brushing your hand over a facemask.

In 1997 McNeese was beaten by Youngstown State 10-9 in the national championship game. There was only one TD in the game.

Youngstown State was in the red zone. The quarterback was sacked on third down but McNeese was called for an incidental face mask penalty.

It gave Youngstown State another third down shot. They fumbled and McNeese recovered but Youngstown State was called for illegal motion before the snap so they got a third third down shot.

On that one, Youngstown State scored. This was at a point in a defensive struggle where McNeese was leading 9-3 in the 4th quarter.

In that one, this rule would've made a HUGE difference.

[Grizaholic17]

The more I think about the rule, the more I believe the chances of messing up a game are slimmed. It's true that face masks are sometimes out of hand, and too much in control of the refs for 5 or 15 yards. This way, the chance of that is slimmed down at least some what. Still weird though. Idk.

[813Jag]

Refs miss/blow calls, I've seen refs miss obvious facemask calls and seen 15 yarders given out for 5 yard infractions. I don't see it changing much.

[citdog]

IF YOU TOUCH THE P/K'S FACEMASK.......... 15 YARDS!