NCAA instituting new rule to wipe out touchdowns for taunting

[Batman1980]

Say this for the folks in charge of NCAA football: They don't much care about being popular. If they did, they'd probably take an extra second or two to stop and think about how the people who keep them in business feel about the decisions they make.

If they did that, they probably would have left Thursday's change to the rules about taunting on the drawing board and focused on ways to actually make the game more enjoyable. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a change to the way taunting penalties are assessed and they will now take away touchdowns if a player is deemed to be taunting before crossing the end zone.

That sound you don't hear is football fans turning to one another and saying "Thank the Lord, because I was worried that referees weren't going to have enough leeway to influence games with their own interpretations of the intentions of other human beings."

The problem with this rule, which goes into effect for the 2011 season, is that there is absolutely no guideline for how it gets enforced. Do you throw a flag if a running back raises his fist in triumph with no defenders in sight? Or is there going to be a zone of taunting that must be penetrated before a penalty occurs? What if a player dives into the end zone between a pair of defenders who may or may not be close enough to make a play?

The answer will be different in every game because this rule turns every NCAA referee into Potter Stewart, the Supreme Court judge who famously said that pornography was hard to define but he knew it when he saw it. Sports rules aren't supposed to work that way outside of figure skating.

The subjectivity inherent in applying this new standard is going to wind up affecting games, seasons and careers for reasons apparent only to the small group of old guys in suits who actually think the elation of 19-year-olds is a problem.

Like we said, they don't care about being popular. It would be swell if they cared about football, though.

Source - NBC Dallas Fort Worth
Wow now I have yet another reason NOT to watch college football.

[bageleaterkkjji]

that's the dumbest rule change in the history of sports....+ what reason was there to watch it in the first place ....the band music maybe

[MaCruz]

Glad I'm not really a fan of NCAA Football.

[Blu-Benny]

it's a school sport and sportsmanship should still be taken into aco****.

i for one hate taunting @ any level in sports not just college.

look @ barry sanders, he never celebrated a single score while in the nfl.....that's just classy.

[pokefan]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

look @ barry sanders, he never celebrated a single score while in the nfl.....that's just classy.

Most of us Cowboys are pretty classy!



And to stay somewhat OT, the new eye black rule is just freakin' retarded!

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by pokefan

And to stay somewhat OT, the new eye black rule is just freakin' retarded!

I can somewhat understand the eye black rule. I don't think they had a problem when it was Reggie Bush writing his area code on the eye black but Tim Tebow putting bible verses could be offensive to some. Eye black is worthless anyway and most people just use it as a fashion statement.

I really dislike the taunting rule. The NCAA has already gone overboard with taunting calls, particularly in last year's LSU-Georgia game when AJ Green was penalized 15 yards for taunting after a late go-ahead touchdown even though replays didn't show him doing anything wrong (the SEC confirmed that no flag should have been thrown) and giving LSU better field position to score a game-winning touchdown. I don't support taunting but some people are going to be idiots and they shouldn't take points off the board because some kid did something stupid.

[HeManster03]

I don't have a problem with the eye black rule, mainly because of the implications. What I mean is Reggie Bush repping his area code is one thing, but some people get REALLY turned off when religious things are pushed in their faces. Tebow may of been making a harmless jesture, but TBH putting bible chapters/books/etc on eyeblack has no real purpose in football and possibly could turn advertisers away. So to be fair to everyone they banned it. I get that.
The taunting thing I don't have a problem with as much as I thought I would. I really think that it will help stop some over the top celebrations/stupid plays in the NFL cough coughDeSean Jacksoncough cough... We will see if it works though.

[mikejet]

If I can outrun the other team, I should be able to make fun of them for being able to do so.

[toef]

I know this sounds a bit ironic, since baseball is my favorite sport, but I hate when outcomes of games are influenced by officiating.

Obviously in baseball, you have an umpire calling every single pitch. But take the umpires out of the game, and I think you'd still get pretty much the same outcome. A pitch is in the strike zone, or it isn't. A runner is safe or he isn't. A home run clears the wall or it doesn't. Pretty simple.

Even though players argue some calls, I think they generally know whether it was the correct call or not, and are just putting on a show.

In football, refs seem to have a much greater influence on the outcome of a game. A pass interference call late in the game could change everything, despite players getting away with the same amount of touching throughout the rest of the game.

This new touchdown rule seems to be the worst example. How much celebrating is too much? If it's a close game, down to the wire, and a player makes a clutch TD catch to give his team the lead in the game, are you going to take away the 6 points and the win because he was a little too excited about what just happened? I think the refs might be too scared to use the rule if the outcome of the game is dependent upon whether they use it or not.

So when will they use it? The only time I can see it being used is if the outcome of the game is clear. Say a team is up by 5 TDs and scores another, are you going to take the points away because the guy did a little jig in the end zone? If that's the case, who cares.

I think basketball officiating is still the worst though, in terms of its effect on the outcome of a game.

[mikejet]

The rule has the ability to be used to influence point spreads. Refs have altered outcomes in the NBA to effect betting and I wouldn't be surprised if this became a future issue.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by MaCruz

Glad I'm not really a fan of NCAA Football.

Same here. Get a playoff system already guys.

[Clark Kent]

It will never happen because the schools make too much money, but the NCAA should get out of athletics as a revenue-generator. That is why I have lost complete interest in both college football and basketball, even though my school has won multiple national championships.

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by HeManster03

I don't have a problem with the eye black rule, mainly because of the implications. What I mean is Reggie Bush repping his area code is one thing, but some people get REALLY turned off when religious things are pushed in their faces. Tebow may of been making a harmless jesture, but TBH putting bible chapters/books/etc on eyeblack has no real purpose in football and possibly could turn advertisers away. So to be fair to everyone they banned it. I get that.
The taunting thing I don't have a problem with as much as I thought I would. I really think that it will help stop some over the top celebrations/stupid plays in the NFL cough coughDeSean Jacksoncough cough... We will see if it works though.

Are you refering to all the touchdowns? Maybe we should all stop being such panty-wastes and quit worrying about what other people think/do that doesn't pertain to us personally. Maybe I don't like a guy with tatoos on his arms. Doesn't mean I have the right to stop him from doing it. What if a player decides to tatoo a verse under his eyes? Should he be banned from doing it? Is it the tattoo, the placement, or the message? Regardless it's ridiculous to wast time on rule changes that have no effect on how the game is played. Does seeing a series of numbers really hurt anyones wittle feewings.

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

It will never happen because the schools make too much money, but the NCAA should get out of athletics as a revenue-generator. That is why I have lost complete interest in both college football and basketball, even though my school has won multiple national championships.

Depends on the outcome of the lawsuit by O'Bannon and others suing the NCAA for selling their likeness. It could completely change everything.