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National Football Foundation

Football 7/20/2023 10:00:00 AM

Important Rule Changes for the 2023 College Football Season

Cfo and nff team up to highlight the changes designed to improve the game in 2023, including timing and clock rules to improve the pace of play and ensure consistency..

• Keep the game moving in terms of pace of play.
• Moderately reduce the number of plays per game.
• Ensure consistency in officiating mechanics managing the game clock.
• The Referee will be the sole decision maker on any review and may include one additional crew member to consult on the review.
• The equipment used in the review must be located outside the limit lines on the sideline or end zone and must be completely outside the team area.  The referee and additional crew member must be provided a separate, secure location away from fans and sideline personnel, with a tent or similar type shelter structure.
• The Referee will stop the game to review all Targeting Fouls that are called on the field. The only other method to stop a game for a replay review is through a head coach challenge. When the head coach requests a timeout for replay review, the replay challenge flag must be dropped onto the field of play.
• Other than for a Targeting review, the crew on the field may not initiate an instant replay review.
• The head coach may initiate a Targeting review if the team has a timeout available and a coach's challenge remaining.

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Say Yes to Officiating

The NCAA recognizes the importance of officiating to competition and the student-athlete experience. The state of officiating is at a critical level due to a declining pool affected by the advancing age of current officials and the lack of interest or incentive among younger populations to enter or remain in the field. The NCAA is dedicated to partnering with other organizations in the recruitment, retention, education/training and improving the sporting behavior of the game environment in college sports.

Becoming an official is a great way to stay connected to sport and provides a tremendous service to young people eager for a chance to compete. Officials are the gate keepers of the game, protecting the integrity of the games young people love to play. Officials help in the development and shaping of the next generation by demonstrating qualities like honesty, objectivity, consistency, conflict resolution, empathy and respect.

Why Become an Official?

• Love of the game
• Staying active
• Competitive drive to become your best
• Giving back to the sport
• Extra Income
• Escape/serve in a different role
• Camaraderie/community
• It’s never too early or too late to start

Where to Start?

• NCAA Officiating Interest Form
• Become a Sports Official
• National Association of Sports Officials
• National Federation of State High School Associations

Officiating & Membership Resources

• Collegiate Player to Ref Program
• NCAA Intro to Sports Officiating Enrollment Form
• RefQuest+  
• In-Venue Video Board Graphic
• Officially Human Public Service Announcement
• 2020 NCAA National Review of Collegiate Officiating Report

Officiating is right call for former Longwood women’s soccer player

Maddie Hommey began officiating youth soccer games while in high school.

Her experiences gave her a different perspective on what officials go through trying to do their jobs. When she played collegiately on the Longwood women's soccer team, Hommey was able to give her teammates some advice whenever they became upset with a call made by the officials.  Read More…  

• Former DII athlete praises officiating as way to stay in the game (Nov. 23, 2021)
• Ashley Moyer-Gleich makes history as part of 2024 playoff officiating crew (Apr. 18, 2024)

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NEW - 2023 CCA Crew of 7 & 8 College Football Officiating Manual

New - 2023 CCA Crew of 7 & 8 College Football Officiating Manual

The official source for all college football mechanics. A go-to-guide for crew mechanics for both 8-person and 7-person crews. Supervisors create evaluation critieria and clinicians draw lessons from this book. 

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Conference USA

Conference Members

• Officiating
• Application

College football officiating crews essentially serve as the third team on the playing field. Comprised of eight individuals on the field and two replay officials in the booth, football officials carry the responsibility of enforcing the rules and maintaining order of the competition. Officiating a college game involves training, development and experience. While Conference USA is committed to building the next generation of college programs, the league is also invested in recruiting and developing people to become league officials.

Our mission is to be a premier football officiating Conference in Division I by providing exceptional training, demonstrating outstanding rules knowledge, conducting ourselves with integrity, displaying the highest degree of professionalism and promoting exemplary sportsmanship. Our on-field success depends on the development, preparation, and proper training of all Conference USA officials. 

C-USA is also committed to diversity and inclusion as it strives to develop a skilled roster of officials. The league conducts training and qualifying clinics annually for its officials in order that they maintain and improve their positions on the field, and for new candidates who desire to become officials. 

Our program is designed to create a competitive environment that allows transparency, growth and steady improvement. The objectives are threefold: (1) to assure that each official deliver his best; (2) to seek, discover, and develop the ablest prospects in every geographical region; and (3) to assure uniformity and high standards for all college officiating. 

The league's training program for CUSA game officials, as outlined below, provides consistency with our mission and core values.

Establish Trust

• Demonstrate Confidence – lead by example
• Stay Connected – provide growing opportunities for officials to stay engaged and communicate so that improved performance can be the result
• Dependable – say what we mean and mean what we say
• Believable – be consistent with our message

Training Process

• Increase collaboration process with officials and encourage dialogue
• Reinforce the Positives to repeat successes
• Instruct on How to correct the Negatives to avoid repeats
• Provide more information to Trainers so they know the Why and How

Enhance Resources

• More timely access to video resources with simpler platforms
• Provide much more instructional content, easier to use
• Add staff to allow greater efficiency
• Think outside the traditional box, bring in other types of resources/people

Coordinator Coaches Mike Defee Ronnie Ford

Trainer Coaches Robert Richeson Michael Cooper Al Green Jerod Phillips Eugene Hall Anthony Flemming Richard Jordan Terry Jones

Conference USA invites those interested in becoming a league football official to submit an application.

 Click here for the CUSA Officiating Application form.

Check back for more information about Conference USA Officiating Camp

Officiating - Southeastern Conference

Officiating.

Important Rule Changes for the 2023 College Football Season

I am going to take a slight diversion this week from my summer series, Notre Dame Football Firsts, to share with you some important rule changes that will be implemented for the 2023 college football season. (CFB rules updates courtesy of the National Football Foundation .)

The change to the current first down rule is very intriguing to me. Which rule changes make you go ‘hmm...’ ?

Cheers & GO IRISH!

IRVING, Texas (July 20, 2023) – As the 2023 college football season approaches, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has again partnered with the College Football Officiating (CFO) to highlight the key rule changes that will take effect this fall.

Since 2011, the NFF has partnered with the College Football Officiating (CFO), led by Steve Shaw and chaired by Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher , to help generate awareness for the rule changes in college football. The CFO functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level, and the organization has held its annual winter meeting of conference coordinators for football officials each January at the NFF headquarters in Irving, Texas since 2013.

Shaw, who became the CFO National Coordinator of Football Officials in March 2020, previously served the Southeastern Conference and Sun Belt Conference as coordinator of officials. He also serves as the Secretary-Rules Editor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, a position critical to the development of competition rules and policies. Shaw excelled as a head referee for 15 years in the SEC, earning 14 postseason assignments, including two national championship games. He has been a leader in revamping the sport’s officiating mechanics and advancing the use of technology to assist officials.

“The mission of the Rules Committee is to develop and evaluate rules changes that will enhance the sport, protect the image of the game, and enhance the student athlete’s health and safety,” said Shaw. “Player safety has been the highest priority of the committee for many years now resulting in significant changes that have improved the game in terms of mitigating injuries.

2023 Rules Changes

Enforcing all players’ health and safety rules continues to be the top point of emphasis from the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The Targeting rule will remain the same in 2023 as the committee feels the rule continues to drive positive player behavior in terms of the use of the helmet. The committee also noted last year’s change to the blocking below the waist rule resulted in data showing fewer player injuries.

The most significant 2023 football rules changes involve adjustments to the timing and clock rules. The rules committee made these changes to drive three strategic initiatives:

• Keep the game moving in terms of pace of play.
• Moderately reduce the number of plays per game.
• Ensure consistency in officiating mechanics managing the game clock.

Stopping and Starting the Clock – First Downs (Rule 3-3-2-e-1)

When Team A (the offense) gains a first down, the clock will no longer be stopped to award a first down except with less than two minutes remaining in the 2 nd and 4 th quarters. This change is effective immediately for DI and DII and will be implemented in 2024 for DIII.

Consecutive Charged Team Timeouts (Rule 3-3-4-a)

Consecutive charged team timeouts will no longer be allowed by the same team in any individual dead ball period. Each team is entitled to three charged team timeouts during each half, with no more than one charged team timeout available per team, per individual dead ball period.

Extension of Periods (Rule 3-2-3-a)

A period shall be extended for an untimed down in the 2 nd or 4 th quarter only if a penalty is accepted for a live-ball foul, if there are offsetting fouls, or an inadvertent whistle. The 1 st and 3 rd quarters will not be extended, and any penalty enforcement will be carried over to the following quarter.

Drone Policy (Rule 1-4-11-d)

Drones are not allowed over the field or the team area when squad members are present within the playing enclosure. Outside the limit lines, game management (or conference policy) will govern drone activity. This governance includes all FAA, state, and local laws including campus policy where appropriate.

Halftime Intermission (Rule 3-2-1-c & 11-1-3)

The field will be available to squad members for halftime warmup no later than three minutes prior to the second half kickoff. When any Squad Member enters the playing enclosure during the halftime intermission, a staff member from that team must be present on the field.

If kickers or other squad members come onto the playing enclosure before the field is available, their activities must be confined to the team area. All team personnel will be respectful of scheduled halftime activities, and all kicks must be into the practice kicking nets until the field is available.

When the field is available to players, the field will be divided into an “L-shaped” configuration with the thirty yard-lines forming the “L” in order to keep the teams separated.

Instant Replay without an Instant Replay Booth Official (New Rule 12-2-1-c)

The optional use of instant replay in games that do not have an instant replay booth official is now permissible and must be in full compliance with Rule 12 (the replay rule) with the following exceptions:

• The Referee will be the sole decision maker on any review and may include one additional crew member to consult on the review.
• The equipment used in the review must be located outside the limit lines on the sideline or end zone and must be completely outside the team area. The referee and additional crew member must be provided a separate, secure location away from fans and sideline personnel, with a tent or similar type shelter structure.
• The Referee will stop the game to review all Targeting Fouls that are called on the field. The only other method to stop a game for a replay review is through a head coach challenge. When the head coach requests a timeout for replay review, the replay challenge flag must be dropped onto the field of play.
• Other than for a Targeting review, the crew on the field may not initiate an instant replay review.
• The head coach may initiate a Targeting review if the team has a timeout available and a coach’s challenge remaining.

About College Football Officiating, LLC

College Football Officiating (CFO) was formed in 2008 by the NCAA and the Collegiate Commissioners’ Association for the purpose of ensuring consistent application of NCAA football playing rules and officiating mechanics; establishing a central leader for officiating; enhancing the existing Division I conference officiating programs to ensure officials and conferences adhere to NCAA and CCA rules and policies; and positioning the officiating community for the future in an attempt to present players, coaches and fans with the best experience possible. For more on the CFO, go to cfo.arbitersports.com.

About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob’s Steak & Chop House; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org .

The Atlantic Coast Conference

Football September 21, 2023

ACC Announces SIAC to Join League’s Football Officiating Alliance

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ACC and AAC announce joint officiating alliance for college football

The alliance includes including scheduling, training, development, recruitment, retention and evaluation.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and American Athletic Conference announced Monday that they will join forces from an officiating standpoint with an alliance that includes scheduling, training, development, recruitment, retention and evaluation of college football officials. 

ACC supervisor of officials Dennis Hennigan will serve as the lead administrator for the alliance and handle the assignment, hiring and training of game officials. The AAC will name a point person to serve as the liaison to the conference's head coaches as well as provide evaluation of game officials.

"We are excited to partner with the ACC regarding the administration of our football officiating program," AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said in a statement. "This alliance will provide both conferences with a deep roster of the best college football officials and will provide for greater efficiency and consistency in the training and evaluation of officials as well as enhanced opportunities for the recruitment of officials. We look forward to working with Dennis Hennigan, who was regarded as one of the top on-field officials in college football and has since become a leader on the administrative side. I also want to thank [ACC] commissioner John Swofford for his cooperation in reaching this mutually beneficial arrangement"

So if you see a different set of officials at games involving ACC and AAC teams, now you know why. The new arrangement goes into effect immediately.

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