College football rule changes 2024: Coach-to-player communication, two-minute timeout and more

The start of a new college football season is a time of unbridled optimism.

For struggling teams and coaches, it’s an opportunity to engineer a much-needed turnaround with players in the best shape of their lives playing in up-tempo and aggressive schemes. At the top of the sport’s food chain, national championship aspirations remain alive and unchallenged for the best teams across the country.

In 2024, a new season comes with some important new rules.

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Over the offseason, college football’s rulebook underwent some notable tweaks when it comes to the structure of the game, how its played and how its officiated. After a trial run of sorts last weekend at the FBS level, those changes will be witnessed on the largest scale yet when the overwhelming majority of the 134 FBS teams begin their seasons this weekend.

Here’s a look at the most consequential college football rule changes ahead of the 2024 season:

College football rule changes 2024

Coach-to-player communication

For the first time, games involving FBS teams will allow coaches to communicate directly with a player on the field through a radio in the player’s helmet. That designated player will be identified with a green dot on their helmet. That communication will be cut off either with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or at the snap, whichever comes first.

The NFL has been using the technology for decades. On offense, for example, a coach can relay a play call to a player — with few exceptions, it’s the quarterback — who can then pass that information along to their teammates.

For much of its existence, college football took a different approach, with play calls being relayed to players via coaches on the sideline, who would pass along their…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-rule-changes-2024-040133488.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-08-31 04:01:33

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