NCAA issues new rule interpretation to resolve Ohio State-Oregon loophole

The NCAA has issued a statement on a new rule interpretation following the controversy of the Ohio State and Oregon game where Oregon appeared to commit a penalty intentionally.

The NCAA Football Playing Rules Committee, according to a report from Ross Dellenger,  was “engaged” in an investigation into the 12 men on the field flag. When it occurred in the fourth quarter, it moved the ball up a total of 5 yards for Ohio State, but it also left less time on the clock, going down from 10 seconds to 6 seconds.

Clarity on the new rule interpretation was provided following the game, also recognizing that one team could have been given an advantage here.

“After the two-minute timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and, at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap,” the statement reads.

“Football is a very dynamic game,” NCAA Football Secretary-Rules Editor Steve Shaw said. “Occasionally there are specific situations where committing a penalty can give a team an advantage. A guiding principle of the NCAA Football Rules Committee is that there should be no benefit when a team commits a penalty. The goal of this in-season interpretation is to eliminate a potential clock advantage for committing a substitution foul and take away any gain for the defense if they violate the substitution rule.”

Crissy Froyd