The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced significant changes to its injury timeout rules and overtime procedures, aimed at curbing the practice of faking injuries to gain an advantage on the field. Starting this fall, teams will face a penalty if medical personnel enter the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball is spotted for the next play.
Under the new rule, teams that do not have any remaining timeouts will be charged a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty and lose possession of their subsequent timeout. The NCAA hopes this change will deter players from faking injuries to manipulate the rules.
In addition to the injury timeout rule, the NCAA has also made changes to its overtime procedures. If a game reaches the third overtime period, each team will have one final timeout before the winner is determined. This aims to keep the action moving and prevent teams from stalling.
Other rule changes include restrictions on defensive signals during plays, enhanced penalties for simulating action at the snap, and new guidelines for kickoff returns. These adjustments are designed to improve player safety, reduce disputes over calls, and enhance the overall integrity of college football games.
Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/44714414/ncaa-approves-rule-changes-combat-players-faking-injuries