If I ruled college football, I would change the game so that if the player with possession of the ball falls to the ground untouched, he can get up and resume play like nothing happened.
In college football, if a player is running with the ball and goes down untouched then the play is dead.
If any part of the body, whether it be knee, elbow, forearm or backside touches the ground with no contact from another player, then that’s it.
Imagine you are watching your favorite team play and a wide receiver is wide open down field.
The quarterback connects with the receiver as time runs out and all your team needs is a touchdown to win the game.
The receiver crosses the ten-yard line and trips—the game is over and your team loses.
You would be pretty upset and probably wishing that the college game had the same rules as the NFL.
In the NFL, if a player goes down without being touched that player can get up and continue the play.
If they get touched while they are down then the play is over.
College football could better-prepare players for the next level if they changed this rule to the same as the NFL.
Sometimes a rookie in the NFL will forget that he can get back up when he goes down.
They will stay on the ground for a while until a defender runs up to touch them.
This frustrates fans and the problem could be easily solved if college football would change the rule.
Football is a game that should have maximum excitement.
Players give every ounce of energy they have to play the game, but when players are ruled down with no contact made it makes it easier on defenses.
Opposing defenses can be nowhere around the player with the ball and if they go down they are off the hook.
This does not happen often, but when it does it is extremely frustrating for the offense and a huge relief for the defense.
I love college football as much as the next guy, but the fact that the ball carrier cannot get up after going down untouched is one of my biggest pet peeves.
It would make the game feel more real and less like it is giving defenses an advantage.
Although, they are thinking of implementing new rules that would slow down offenses and try to stop such high-scoring games—but that is for another article. If I ruled college football I would make it so if the ball carrier goes down untouched he can get back up and the play would continue.
The college football game needs to be more like the NFL so that the NFL gets players who are going to go to the professional level ready. If a player goes down with no contact made, they should be able to get up and continue the play.
This would make the game not only more entertaining, but harder on the defenses if this rule were to be changed.
Mike Miezejeski can be contacted at mmiezejeski@keene-equinox.com
