Rule Change Affects Teams Following Oregon’s Unique Tactic

In a noteworthy development for college football, the NCAA has officially closed a rules loophole that allowed the Oregon Ducks to gain a strategic advantage during their narrow victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes last week. This announcement was made by NCAA coordinator of officials Steve Shaw on Wednesday.

During the critical moments of Oregon’s 32-31 win against Ohio State, the Ducks made a controversial move by adding an extra player on the field, bringing their total to 12. This happened just before Ohio State’s quarterback Will Howard threw an incomplete pass on a critical third-and-25 play. Even though Oregon received a 5-yard penalty for having too many players, this tactic effectively wasted precious seconds on the game clock.

With only 10 seconds remaining in the game, the penalty allowed Oregon to deny Ohio State the opportunity they needed to make a significant play on that down. According to the previous rule, the clock would not reset after such an infraction, which meant Ohio State could not recover the lost time. This situation played a crucial role in Oregon securing the victory. Following this penalty, Ohio State was only left with the chance to run one more play, but they ultimately fell short.

Moving forward, if a defense commits a substitution foul by having too many players on the field, referees will now reset the game clock to the time remaining before the penalty. This change aims to ensure that teams do not gain an unfair advantage from committing fouls, as Shaw stated, “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.”

This adjustment emphasizes the NCAA’s commitment to maintaining fair play and integrity in the game, as teams adapt to these new regulations during the season.