Crackdown on players faking injuries, tweak to video review verbiage among changes in college game

Officials will be cracking down on college football players who feign injuries, the number of overtime timeouts will be reduced and referees will use different verbiage when announcing the results of video reviews. Those are among the changes for the 2025 season, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday in its annual summary of rules changes. Combatting the practice of players faking injuries to stop the game clock was an offseason priority for the NCAA Football Rules Committee. Beginning this season, if a player on the field presents as injured after the ball is spotted for the next play, that player's team will be charged a timeout. If the team does not have timeouts remaining, a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty will be assessed. The player also must remain out of the game for at least one down, even if that team is granted a timeout, and may not return until receiving the approval of a medical professional. Feigning injuries, sometimes at the coach's instruction, has concerned the rules committee in recent years. It's a tactic defenses use to slow down tempo offenses or as a way for an offense to avoid a delay-of-game penalty or get an extra timeout. In overtime, each team will continue to be allowed one timeout in both the first and second extra periods. After the first two overtime periods, each team will be allowed only one timeout for the remainder of the game. Previously, a team was allowed one timeout in each overtime period regardless of how many were required to decide a winner. After video reviews, if the ruling on the field is not overturned, referees will announce that the call is "upheld." Previously the referee would say the call is "confirmed" if video showed the call was correct or "stands" if there was no clear and obvious evidence to overturn the ruling. If the call is changed following the review, the referee will describe the reason. Some other changes: — On kick returns, if any player on the receiving team holds out his arms to make a "T" signal during the kick, the team gives up its right to make a return and the play will be whistled dead. — Any defensive player within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage (stationary or not) may not make quick and abrupt or exaggerated actions that simulate action at the snap in an obvious attempt to make the offense commit a penalty. The offense will be held to the same standard as any pre-snap movement that simulates action at the snap is a foul on the offense for a false start. — The defense may not have more than 11 players on the field when the ball is snapped. The infraction is treated as a live-ball foul and is a 5-yard penalty. If this occurs after the two-minute timeout in either half, the offense will have the option to reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap. The game clock will then restart on the next snap. — Coach-to-player communications through the helmet will be allowed in the Football Championship Subdivision. — A player attempting to recover a loose ball is added to the list of defenseless players. — All forms of gun violence are not permitted and simulating the firing of a weapon is an automatic unsportsmanlike foul. This year, if a player simulates the act of brandishing a weapon, it is considered an unsportsmanlike act.