SEC to ask NCAA to reconsider targeting penalties

Georgia's Ramik Wilson was penalized for targeting against Vanderbilt. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) Southeastern Conference coordinator of officials Steve

Georgia's Ramik Wilson was penalized for targeting against Vanderbilt. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Southeastern Conference coordinator of officials Steve Shaw said Wednesday that the conference plans to ask the NCAA after this season to review targeting penalties assessed after a foul has been overturned by replay.

The SEC wants the NCAA Rules Committee to consider picking up flags for targeting after replay reviews overturn the calls. Current rules allow a player automatically disqualified for targeting to return to the game, but the 15-yard penalty stands.

The NCAA introduced the disqualification during the offseason as part of its emphasis on eliminating potentially dangerous hits above the shoulders of a defenseless player. The targeting rule was first introduced in 2008, but the automatic ejection was added for the 2013 season.

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An example of the rule occurred Saturday when Georgia inside linebacker Ramik Wilson was penalized for targeting on a fourth-down incompletion to Jonathan Krause in the fourth quarter of Georgia’s 31-27 loss at Vanderbilt. Wilson's automatic ejection was overturned, but the 15-yard penalty was still assessed, extending a Vanderbilt drive that resulted in a touchdown.

Three other SEC players were ejected for targeting in Week 8: Wilson's Georgia teammate Ray Drew, South Carolina safety Kadetrix Marcus and Florida safety Cody Riggs.

From the Athens Banner-Herald:

“Even our commissioner has serious reservations about the penalty philosophy around targeting fouls when they’re overturned,” Shaw said on the SEC teleconference referring to Mike Slive. “He and I have talked. He’s challenged me, and together we’re going to work with the rules committee to revisit the penalty if a disqualification is overturned for targeting.”

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