Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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I THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY // VOICE OF THE BADGERS With season upon us, a look at rule changes n the weeks leading up to the start of the college football season, there has been plenty of talk about the rules of the game. Actually, the hot topic is not about a rule change, but rather an enforcement change to a rule that has been in place for a few years. A word you will hear, especially early in the season, is "targeting." Starting this season, not only will targeting lead to a 15-yard penalty, it also can lead to an ejection. There are a couple of parts to this rule. The first involves initiating contact with the crown of the helmet, and targeting and initiating contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. It is important to understand that leading with the crown of the helmet makes a player vulnerable to getting tossed, even if he hits the opponent below the neck area. Simply put, the rules makers don't want players to lead with the top of their heads. The old line "see what you hit" applies. Another way a player puts himself at risk of being thrown out is to launch into an opponent. Defined a bit further, a player cannot leave his feet to attack an opponent by an upward or forward thrust to make contact to the head or neck area. A player also is prohibited from being in a crouch, followed by an upward and forward thrust to contact the head or neck area, even 18 // VARSITY August 29, 2013 if one or both feet remain on the ground. The words "defenseless player" are important too. It includes a player who receives a blind-side block, and a quarterback any time after a change of possession. There is more, but hopefully you get the idea. With the stiffer penalty, there will be more responsibility on the player as well as the officials, including the one in the replay booth. If an official on the field ejects a player for an illegal hit, the replay judge has the authority to overturn the call. The 15-yard penalty will remain in place, but if the call is reversed, the player stays in the game. However, if the call on the field stands, and the infraction occurs in the second half, the player sits for the remainder of that game, as well as the first half of the following game. With so much attention on the targeting rule, a few other rules tweaks have gone unnoticed by many. Here are a few to keep in mind: • The 10-second runoff rule is expanded. If a player is injured in the final minute of a half, and that injured player is the only reason for stopping the clock, the opponent has the option to subtract 10 seconds from the game clock. If the injured player's team has a timeout, it can use it to save those 10 seconds. • In the past, if a player's helmet came off, he had to leave the game for one play. Now, that player can remain in the game if his team uses a timeout. • At the end of a half, in order for a team to legally spike the ball, there must be at least three seconds on the game clock. Remember the end of the 2012 Rose Bowl? With 2 seconds to play, the Badgers tried to spike the ball and line up for one shot at the end zone. Unfortunately, time ran out, and Russell Wilson never had the chance to pull out a miracle finish against Oregon. Now, with 2 seconds left, teams know they must run a play. • One other rule change will make announcers happy, and hopefully it will help you too. A player's uniform number must contrast with the jersey color. The rule states that the numerals must be clearly and obviously in contrast with the jersey, regardless of any border around the number. In other words, teams cannot wear black numbers on black jerseys, even with a bright border around the numeral. Pardon me while I stand and applaud. These are some of the tweaks/ changes to keep in mind as another season begins. Have no fear, there will be no test. My only request is that you enjoy the ride. It is fun to know that the talking is about to end, and the games are about to begin. If there is one thing worth targeting, it would be Saturday at 11 a.m. Kickoff at Camp Randall.