NCAA quietly makes major targeting rule change for 2026 college football season
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NCAA quietly makes major targeting rule change for 2026 college football season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The NCAA Division I (FBS) Oversight Committee approved a major overhaul to the targeting penalty structure on Thursday. The move aims to balance player safety with competitive balance.
The new rule will take effect as a one-year trial for the 2026 season. It eliminates the automatic first-half suspension for players flagged for targeting in the second half of a game, provided it is their first offense of the season.
Under the previous rules, any player ejected for targeting in the second half was forced to sit out the first half of their team’s next game. However, starting in 2026, the NCAA will shift to a progressive penalty system.
For the first offense, the player would be disqualified for the remainder of the current game but would be eligible to play the entire next game. The second offense would result in disqualification for the remainder of the game and a first-half suspension in the next game.
If a player commits the offense for the third time, it would result in a disqualification for the remainder of the game and a full-game suspension for the next game.
The committee also introduced a formal appeals process for repeat offenders. If a player is flagged for a second time in a season, their conference can now request a video review by the NCAA national coordinator of football officials.
The review can cover both the first and second offenses, and if either or both are overturned, the strike count would be reduced. It would allow the player to avoid the suspension.
"This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure," A.J. Edds, chair of the rules subcommittee, said last month. "We will closely monitor this one-year adjustment, and the committee believes it is important to enhance the progressive penalty to ensure proper coaching and player education."
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While targeting dominated the headlines, the committee also greenlit several other rules on Thursday. In a move to align with NFL and High School rules, teams can now choose to attempt a free kick (field goal or drop kick) from the spot of a fair catch. It allows teams to attempt long field goals without a snap or the threat of a rush, as the defense must remain 10 yards back.
The yardage penalty for OPI has also been reduced from 15 yards to 10 yards. Officials have been given clear guidance to focus on taunting and demeaning celebrations.
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