College football’s rules committee has proposed and approved several changes for the 2025 season. The most notable changes include:
A new timeout penalty to prevent players from faking injuries, which will cost a team one of its timeouts per half if a player goes down due to injury after the ball is spotted and medical personnel enter the field.
The third overtime period will now only have one timeout allowed for both teams, reducing stoppages in games that go to extra periods.
The 12-men-on-the-field loophole has been closed, ensuring that defenses cannot exploit this tactic by leaving a player on the field. This rule change is intended to prevent players from pretending injuries after a play has ended.
Kick return signals will be strictly enforced, with the “T” arm signal now leading to a dead ball call if used incorrectly.
Replay reviews’ announcements will no longer differentiate between “confirmed” and “stand” calls, instead using only the term “upheld.”
Helmet communication in the Football Championship Subdivision is allowed, following its introduction last year in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6284462/2025/04/17/college-football-rules-changes-fake-injuries-timeouts