NCAA Proposes Timeout Penalty for Suspected Injury Faking in Football

The new rule aims to address tactics used to manipulate game flow, pending approval in April.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee has proposed charging a timeout if a player appears injured after the ball is spotted, targeting suspected injury faking.
If a team has no timeouts remaining, a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty would be imposed under the new proposal.
The rule change, which requires approval by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on April 16, seeks to curb strategies that disrupt tempo offenses.
Additional proposals include limiting timeouts after the third overtime, simplifying replay terminology, and addressing penalties for 12-player defensive fouls with potential clock adjustments.
The committee also recommended formalizing in-season guidance on substitution penalties and introducing measures for clearer defensive and offensive communication signals.