Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has major issue with new punting rule change
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Kirk Ferentz is entering his 28th season as the head coach of Iowa football. In his tenure, the coach has not been shy about criticizing the NCAA. Recently, Ferentz was critical of a ruling on tampering with Cade McNamara.
Now, the NCAA is implementing new rules surrounding the punt, which are complicated. Ferentz once again is being outspoken about his opinion on the rules, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
“There’s no compelling reason to change it. It was already perfectly fine,” Ferentz said.
The new rules surround jersey numbering and players on the line of scrimmage. Frank Wilson Jr., a special teams coach at Tennessee Tech, provided a breakdown.
“1. Formations must be 2×2 on either side of the snapper. Unless there are five players, wearing numbers 50-79 on the LOS. 2. Players are locked into the 2×2 formation with the Guards & Tackles in, or touching the tackle box. No shifting, and they are ineligible. 3. If five players wearing 50-79 are on the LOS, normal football rules go into effect (shifting/eligibility). 4. If a team elects to change player jerseys to alleviate numbering exceptions, a team may fill out a form and present it to the referees in the pregame meetings. An announcement will be made prior to the play about the changes,” Wilson posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The rules affect Ike Speltz, who is the long snapper for Iowa and currently wears number 47. He would either need to change his number, or Ferentz needs to fill out paperwork and have a special exception for his long snapper to wear his number. It is not uncommon for longsnappers to wear numbers outside the 50-79 range, creating a confusing and convoluted situation. Ferentz wants to see the rules changed back.
It will “look like a clown show out there,” Ferentz added. “We’re not playing for a couple more months. I don’t know why they couldn’t (change it).”
While most fans will not notice the rules changes, Ferentz will, and he is not supporting it.
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