The NCAA Football Rules Committee announced Friday that it has approved several rules designed to speed up college football games in an attempt to control the flow of the game and provide more consistency for in-game management. The committee will implement the new rules for the 2023 season and monitor how they impact the game, specifically the number of plays.
The biggest change will come on first downs. Currently, the clock stops on first downs until the ball is spotted by officials. The new rule will keep the clock running on first downs except during the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. This will emulate the current rule in the NFL. CBS Sports senior writer Dennis Dodd pointed out last month that the model that college football currently uses has been in place since 1968.
“This rule change is a small step intended to reduce the overall game time and will give us some time to review the impact of the change,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart, co-chair of the committee.