Rule changes are always a big topic of conversation before the start of any college football season. And heading into the 2017 campaign, there are some key alterations to keep an eye on this fall.

Probably the most significant change is the get-back rule for coaches.

Coaches stepping on the field to argue with officials – a longtime college football tradition – will now come with some consequences. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty will be assessed for coaches who storm onto the field solely to argue with an official.

Jim Harbaugh should know that rule pretty well:

It’s going to be interesting to see how coaches adjust to this new rule implementation, especially the ones known for getting animated on the sidelines. The pay for get-back coaches might be increasing soon.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

There is big news coming to the upcoming 2022-23 Big Ten football season (and NFL season). Ohio online sports betting and Maryland sports betting are on the way.

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Here are a few of the other major rule changes for 2017:

Horse-collar tackle

Yanking down a ball-carrier by grabbing the inside of his jersey or shoulder pads has been barred from the college game for a few years now. But the nameplate area will also be off limits to tacklers when a ball-carrier is outside of the tackle box. This could make a difference on potential open-field tackles.

Zach Cunningham rule

If you’re not sure who Zach Cunningham is, or why we’re calling it that, just check out this video:

That’s pretty darn impressive.

Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing plays like that anymore. Well, at least legally.

Players will no longer be permitted to leap and hurdle to block a field goal or an extra point attempt. Players also won’t be allowed to run from beyond the neutral zone and leap or hurdle to block a kick. So any running start on a field goal or extra point try has been outlawed.

Basically, players are allowed to make a play from a stationary position within one-year of the line of scrimmage.

This rule came into play because too many defenders were being upended at the line of scrimmage and the percentage of blocked kicks on those plays was low.

Equipment

Players must have pants and knee pads that actually cover their knees. If the pants aren’t long enough or knee pads aren’t covering the knees while on the field, a player will be forced to leave the game for at least one play until the equipment is fixed.