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FOOTBALL NCAA bans taunting, wedge blocks, message eye black

INDIANAPOLIS — Taunting in the field of play will start costing teams points in college football in 2011 and wedge blocks on kickoffs and eye black containing symbols or messages will be banned.
Thursday, the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the three rules changes.
Currently, players who are penalized for taunting on their way to the end zone draw a 15-yard penalty on the extra point attempt, two-point conversion attempt or the ensuing kickoff.
Beginning in 2011, live-ball penalties will be assessed from the spot of the foul and eliminate the score. Examples include players finishing touchdown runs by high-stepping into the end zone or pointing the ball toward an opponent.
Celebration penalties following a score will continue to be assessed on conversion attempts or the ensuing kickoff.
The ban on wedge blocking is because of safety concerns. The new rule says that when the team receiving a kickoff has more than two players standing within 2 yards of one another, shoulder to shoulder, it will be assessed a 15-yard penalty — even if there is no contact between the teams.
NCAA studies have shown that 20 percent of all injuries occurring on kickoffs result in concussions.

What you bet that Billy "white shoes' Johnson had no idea what kind of monster he created with that first dance in the endzone.

On the wedge rule, it seems to me that the receiving team on an onside kick could be at a disadvantage if they choose to overload one side of the field to counter the overload of the kicking team.

Wedge block...seriously? Does the NCAA have a problem with a formation on kickoff? and eye black? Wow. They have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do at their corporate office huh?

The NCAA makes another attack on fun and a new one on kickoff returns.
Why not just make the kicking team run at half speed? Let's just start playing flag football or something.

Interesting the NCAA waited until Tebow graduated to instate the eye black message rule.

It would have been even more of a PR nightmare if they had changed the rule last year.
Every media outlet on the planet would call it the Tebow rule and say that they were singling him out, even though thousands of others had their area code and other messages under their eyes.

Kinda rough to take points off the board when they were earned.

I find it funny they are focusing their attention on the less important things in the game and don't even bring up the most important thing fans care about....a playoff system

"I find it funny they are focusing their attention on the less important things in the game and don't even bring up the most important thing fans care about....a playoff system"

Distraction.....

As a fan I really do not see the obession with the eye black and the celebration....

As to the celebration, as long it does not delay the game or cross over to really serious poor sportsmanship, why would anyone care? Just wait until some guy is flagged for slowing down entering the endzone as the ref considered that a "celebration"....

With respect to eye black, this really seems like an arbitrary restriction of first amendment rights that someone should go after......when a player puts the stuff on in a way that some ref thinks is symbol of somehting will a flag fly?

This is all just NCAA control mania....

I would like to hear from some coaches and players on the Wedge Rule.... what next, blocking above the waist?

The NCAA probably sees the eye black as offensive to Native American Warpaint and will eventually ban it all together.

I think helmets are offensive to Vikings and any other people who wore helmets.

Shoulder pads are also offensive to women.

PETA is also offended the football is called a pigskin and it is made of leather.

"The NCAA probably sees the eye black as offensive to Native American Warpaint and will eventually ban it all together. "

Even the North Dakota Fighitng Sioux? Maybe if we contract with a tribe to allow us to use eye black we could appease NCAA.

as far as the eye black, it's just like anything else regarding the uniform, it has to be uniform. you can't wear whatever socks you want to wear. the messages on the eye black probably were getting out of hand, and there was the potential for something embarrassing to get shown on national tv if it went unpoliced.
as far as the taunting rule, there's nothing "rough" about it. you tell your players they can't celebrate on the way to the end zone. if they do, points get taken away. a rule is a rule. it's called discipline, something we don't have enough of these days. save your celebration until after you score and the td stands and you get 15 yards, do it early and you don't score. or save it till you get back to the sideline and nothing happens. simple enough.

They should use a nerf football

All of that's true, but it's just more fun to hate the NCAA.