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College football rule changes we’d love to see happen

By Michael Collins

Oct 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a yellow penalty flag during the game between the Baylor Bears and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at AT&T Stadium. The Bears defeat the Red Raiders 63-35. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a yellow penalty flag during the game between the Baylor Bears and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at AT&T Stadium. The Bears defeat the Red Raiders 63-35. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; Ball State Cardinals quarterback Riley Neal (15) falls while running the ball during the first half of the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; Ball State Cardinals quarterback Riley Neal (15) falls while running the ball during the first half of the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5 – Down vs. Tackled

This is absolutely one of the dumbest rules that exists in the college game.

You’re a ball carrier. You trip/slip and fall without being contacted by an opposing player, or you’re a receiver who dives for a ball and catches it without being touched. In the NFL you get back up and run until someone tackles you (this is tackle football, in case some of you had been misled). However, in college if your knee hits the ground for any reason…you are simply down.

Can we just go ahead and put flags in everyone’s back pockets now?

This rule change would be particularly important being that very few colleges play football indoors in climate-controlled conditions. Rain, snow, ice and other footing obstacles are a regular occurrence in college football.

Seriously, unless you are down by contact there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get up and continue advancing the ball. Perhaps in the days of leather helmets and pads that were simply ace bandages this rule made sense. But today? Not even close.

Next: Interference

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