NCAA considers 10 football rule changes to increase player safety

An NCAA committee met to discuss several rule changes in football to improve player safety. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The NCAA Football Rules Committee met this week and proposed 10 potential rule changes that could significantly impact the way the game is played, according to USA Today. The committee came together to discuss ways to increase player safety and "improve the game."

The most significant proposed change affects targeting -- an automatic ejection for "targeting a defenseless player above the shoulders," in addition to the existing 15-yard penalty. Officiating crews would be able to review the hit and overturn the call if there is "conclusive evidence that a player should not be ejected."

Other rule changes considered included: making blocking below the waist illegal, unless it is in front of a defender; a 10-second clock runoff with less than a minute left in a half when the reason is to stop an injury; and prohibiting teams from spiking the ball to stop the clock with less than three seconds left. Additional adjustments related to electronic communication and instant replay were also discussed.