Three Rule Changes that will Impact BYU Fans

The NCAA announced numerous rule changes for the upcoming college football season. Which rules will impact the BYU fan experience?

The NCAA is always looking for ways to improve the safety of college football and the fan experience. In April, the NCAA officially approved five rule changes for the 2020 football season:

1. Implementing a two-minute time limit for officials to make decisions using instant replay (to speed up the game)
2. Allowing players ejected for targeting to remain on the sidelines with their teammates
3. Starting game officials’ jurisdiction 90 minutes before kickoff instead of 60 minutes
4. Capping the amount of duplicate jersey numbers on a roster at two
5. Adding the number 0 as a legal jersey number

Of these changes, only rule changes 1, 2, and 5 will impact BYU fans in 2020. Here’s why:

Rule #1: This is great news for college football fans everywhere. Limiting the time available to review plays with instant replay will help improve the flow of the game. Fans at Lavell Edwards Stadium usually don’t see the replays on the big screens at LES, so speeding up the review process will improve the gameday experience.

Rule #2: While targeting is a critical rule for player safety, the implementation of that rule has always been, in my opinion, ridiculous. Targeting is usually accidental and forcing the player to leave the field has always felt extreme and unnecessary. BYU fans will no longer watch as players are escorted to the locker room following a targeting penalty.

Rule #5: By far the most interesting rule change this year, BYU fans will now be able to monitor the new number 0 jersey. A player like graduate transfer Devontae Henry-Cole seems like the prime candidate to wear the number 0. If I was in charge, I would make the number 0 a reward for something like superb effort or leadership.

Who would you like to see rep the number 0 this season?

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