Should the NCAA Change Targeting Rules? Just a Minute

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will group up or film solo to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral assistant editor Katie Windham discusses the proposed changes to the targeting rules in college football and whether or not she thinks the NCAA should approve the changes.

At its core, the targeting rules in college football were created and implemented with player safety in mind. However, over the years, almost every college football fan has seen a player ejected for targeting over a play that was completely unintentional.

As the rules currently stand, when a player is called for targeting, and the call is upheld, that player is ejected from the game. If it is the first half of the game, the player will miss the second half of that same game. If the violation occurs during the second half, the player is required to miss the first half of his team's next game. Some players have had their careers cut short in their final collegiate game, or key players have missed critical games in championship scenarios because of the way the rule is currently set up.

The NCAA announced proposed changes to the targeting rule on Thursday. Under the proposed new rules, a player called for targeting for the first time during the season, regardless of which half it occurs, would be allowed play the next game. Any player disqualified for targeting a second time during the season would be required to miss the first half of the next game. If a player is ejected for a third targeting penalty during the season, the player would be required to miss the entire next game.

"This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure," rules subcommittee chair A.J. Edds said in a press release. "We will closely monitor this one-year adjustment, and the committee believes it is important to enhance the progressive penalty to ensure proper coaching and player education."

The FBS Oversight Committee is will go over this proposed change and others on March 19.

I think this would be a big step forward in making the penalties for targeting more fair. If a player does it just one time, it may or may not be intentional. If it becomes a pattern with a player, that's obviously an issue that needs to be adressed, and a higher level of punishment should deter players from the action.