Cracking down on fake injuries and penalizing any imitation of brandishing weapons are among rule changes coming to the 2025 college football season.
The tweaks were announced by the National Football Foundation on Wednesday, August 13 as part of its annual update of rules.
A hot topic among rule implementation, preventing teams from faking injuries was a top priority for the rules committee. It was typically done by defenses to stop high-tempo offenses or teams with momentum, while it was also done on offense to stop the game clock and get a pseudo extra timeout.
Now in place for the 2025 season, if a player presents themselves as injured after officials have spotted the ball, that player’s team will be charged a timeout or a delay of game penalty if it has no timeouts left. The player must also sit out at least one play, regardless of whether a timeout has been assessed or not, and cannot return unless they receive approval from the team’s medical personnel.
Another notable rule change is extending penalties to any celebration that mimics a weapon. Before, only an act that simulated the firing of a weapon resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Now in 2025, an unsportsmanlike conduct flag will be called on a player who brandishes a simulated weapon, like raising the jersey to mimic a gun being held at the waist or pretending to carry a gun.
Other rule changes for 2025 college football season
Several other rules were added, including:
Teams will continue to get one timeout in each of the first two overtime periods. Now, teams will only get one timeout starting at the third overtime and for the remainder of the game.
Instead of saying “confirmed” or “stands,” officials will use “upheld” when announcing reviews that will not be overturned.
Any player on the receiving team that makes the “T” symbol on kickoff returns forfeits their right to return the ball and the play will be considered dead.
Any defensive team player within one yard of the line of scrimmage cannot make any quick, abrupt or exaggerated actions that simulate action at the snap and are not part of normal defensive player movement to try and draw an offensive foul.
Defensive players also cannot use disconcerting words or signals, like sounds or cadences to interfere with the offense while it is preparing a play.
If the defense has more than 11 players on the field after the two-minute timeout, it will be penalized and the offense will be given the option to reset the game clock, which won’t start until the next snap.
Coach-to-player helmet communication is allowed in FCS.
Use of tablets extended to project large images only in the locker room at halftime or during a suspension of play.
A player attempting to recover a loose ball is considered defenseless.