New Rule Changes and How They Impact Cowboy Football

The NCAA Football Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rules that the NCAA Football Rules Committee pushed out earlier this year. One that I especially agree with that won't treat the perpetrator of targeting like a criminal.

STILLWATER -- I have always disliked the application of the targeting rule where the player guilty of targeting and ejected from the contest had to be walked to the locker room by a staff member and treated like a criminal. I kept waiting for the handcuffs to come out and be slapped on the offending player.

The new rule, adopted by the NCAA Football Playing Rules Oversight Panel after being recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee, allows for the player to remain on the sidelines. That was one of several rules that were rubber stamped by the Oversight Panel.  

For Oklahoma State this means that the head of strength and conditioning Rob Glass or one of his assistants in Gary Calcagno, Joel Tudman, Mark Smith, or Anthony Hibbert won't have to walk the player to the dressing room and stay with him. 

Now the player still misses the second half if the infraction takes place in the first half of a contest or misses the first half of the next game on the schedule, if the targeting penalty is in the second half of a game.

Instant Replay will be on a shorter clock starting this next season as replay officials, officials on the field, and those in the conference office will have two minutes to complete a review. Reviews that come late in a contest or have complicated aspects to it will be asked to be completed as soon as possible but not in two minutes or under. 

This rule doesn't impact the team as much as it does the fans, who won't have to sit through the longer delays. 

Also, for time to be put back on the clock at the end of a half then the ruling must be that there are three or more seconds that must be put back on the clock. 

This applies to the first half only. I don't know if I agree with the rule because in my opinion every second counts. 

Officials now have jurisdiction over the game and the playing field starting at 90 minutes before kickoff. In the past that was 60 minutes, but increased skirmishes on the field in not only warm-ups, but pre-warm-ups have caused this to be put in place. 

Yes, it has happened before at Oklahoma State, but usually it has only been Bedlam.

Finally, only two players on the same team will be allowed to wear the same number. Believe it or not, I find it hard to believe there are some schools that issue the same number to three, four, even five players. 

This has never been an issue at Oklahoma State where the special teams coach has usually been the final say on jersey numbers, so he could have the appropriate players available for duty on special teams. Players with the same number are always on on offense, one on defense, or one on special teams. Never more than two of the three.

Also, players will be allowed to wear No. 0 this season. Personally, I wouldn't want "0" as a number, but I know for a fact that head football equipment coordinator Justin Williams has ordered jerseys with "0".