NCAA considering significant rule changes for football games to improve player safety

The NCAA is considering several rule changes aimed at shortening college football games and reducing the number of plays per game. This is apparently in an effort to improve player safety for student-athletes.

ESPN's Heather Dinich is reporting that higher-ups among the college football ranks are meeting this week in Indianapolis — the site of the 2023 NFL Combine — to consider three rule changes, in particular.

They're considering keeping the clock running after first downs except for in the last two minutes of either half. They're also thinking about taking away a coach's ability to call two consecutive timeouts as well as carrying over penalties that happen at the end of the first and third quarter to the next quarter rather than playing an untimed down.

Per ESPN, these proposed changes will shave off roughly seven to eight minutes and eight plays per game. Right now, college football games average 180 plays per game and roughly three hours and 21 minutes in length, so you'd be looking at a new time right around three hours and 10 minutes with 173-ish plays under the proposed new rules.

"A year or so ago, we began to pivot away from just worrying about the clock to the number of plays per game, student-athlete exposures, and that has really become more the direction now, led by our commissioners," NCAA football secretary rules editor and officials coordinator Steve Shaw told ESPN. "With the focus on player health and safety and the CFP and extended playoff, which could create more games for players, it's appropriate to look at what are these numbers of student-athlete exposures?"

One of the rules that has made the NCAA unique compared to the NFL is the clock stoppage after first downs. Shaw relayed that the proposed rule change will still keep some of that charm because the clock will stop under two minutes. For the rest of the game, though, the game should stay moving.

"To me, that's a beautiful difference between the college game and the NFL game that lasts two minutes," Shaw said. "Even though you may not have a timeout, if you make a first down, you have an opportunity to get to the ball and get a snap. It makes for an exciting end to the game."