re: NCAA Football Rules Committee Proposed rule changes on Targeting and OT

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Instant replay officials will be directed to examine all aspects of the play and confirm the foul when all elements of targeting are present. If any element of targeting cannot be confirmed, then the replay official will overturn the targeting foul.

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The NCAA just likes to hear themselves talk. This is such a ridiculous change for so many reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that not a single ref had any idea of what "the elements of targeting" were last year.

There were 3 elements involved from what I could tell.
1. Are you Alabama? It's not targeting
2. Are you currently playing Alabama or playing Alabama in your next game? It is targeting.
3. If rule #1 and rule #2 do not apply and you kill or nearly kill a defenseless player. It's not targeting.

They might as well phone a friend or poll the audience if the reviews last year are the standard.

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but brain injuries are a real thing. the sport has to change. 

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Look. If you get it wrong and call a cuddling match a target once in awhile just so you can always protect the players then so be it.

But when you just ignore Burrow getting speared and concussed AF or Mack Wilson hitting a QB with the crown of his helmet so hard it breaks his collar bone.... The rule is pointless.

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i understand. but a few bad calls across hundreds of games doesn’t mean the rule is fundamentally bad. Enforcement just needs to be more consistent.

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You make a good point. I don't know of anyone who's a legitimate fan of college football who doesn't want the game to be safer. OTOH, despite all the changes made in targeting, the game doesn't seem to be getting safer. The number of targeting calls has gone up yearly since the institution of the call. How can Coach Shaw say “The targeting rule has been effective in changing player behavior,” when the penalties continue to go up. I think the rule as written IS fundamentally bad because there are so many different interpretations in college football as to what does and doesn't represent targeting. You don't have that problem w/ a well written rule. The intent is good, but the rule and its execution are bad. In addition to other changes, the NCAA needs to have a small number of officials sitting in a single office responsible nationwide for reviewing all the targeting calls in college football. Until then, every different official's crew AND viideo boot review will interpret it differently. I read and watch a lot of college football and never saw any changes proposed resembling this. The committee whiffed on this one.