Rules changes

Major changes

The list below shows rule number, description of the change, and page number in this book. New or modified text is marked like this.

1-2-1 Penalty Revised minimum field standards 44
1-4-5 Penalty Illegal jersey penalty reinstated 55
1-4-8-d Charged timeout for failure to respond to equipment problem 58
2-3-6-a Align tackle box and free-blocking zone on snapper 63
2-27-14-k Additional categories of defenseless player 78
2-34-1-a Align tackle box and free-blocking zone on snapper 81
3-2-1-c Added halftime intermission warm-up guidelines 85
3-2-3-a Extension of periods applicable only to the 2nd and 4th quarters 86
3-3-2-g-2 10 points required to end running clock session 92
3-3-4 Consecutive charged team timeouts no longer allowed 93
4-1-2-b-3 Exception 4 Award ball after inadvertent whistle only if end of kick known 106
12-3-1-d Permit the referee to do replay at the sideline 194
13-1-2-a Increased minimum medical requirements at some levels 197

New/Revised Approved Rulings

A.R. 2-10-3:I A.R. 2-23-1:II A.R. 3-1-3:XV A.R. 3-3-1:V A.R. 3-3-1:VI
A.R. 6-1-2:IX A.R. 7-1-5:V A.R. 7-3-1:I A.R. 7-3-1:II A.R. 8-5-1:XII
A.R. 9-1-6:X A.R. 9-1-6:XI A.R. 9-1-6:XII A.R. 9-1-6:XIII A.R. 9-2-6:II
A.R. 9-3-4:III A.R. 9-3-4:IV

Editorial changes

The following list shows those rules that have been subject to editorial change, i.e. deletions, corrected errors, clarifications due to interpretation and items rewritten for readability. The list also includes those Approved Rulings altered to conform with rule changes. New or modified text is marked in blue (grey when printed in monochrome). A × symbol denotes where text has been deleted.

1-2-1-g-2 1-2-3-a 1-2-4-a
1-3-2-g 1-3-3 A.R. 1-4-2:I
1-4-5-c-1 A.R. 1-4-5:I 1-4-7-b
A.R. 1-4-8:IV 1-4-11-b 1-4-11-c Exception 3
2-2-4-a 3-1-1-g-2 3-1-2
A.R. 3-2-3:II A.R. 3-2-3:III A.R. 3-2-3:IV
3-2-4-a 3-3-1-b A.R. 3-3-2:X
A.R. 3-3-2:XI A.R. 3-3-2:XII 3-4-3-b
3-4-4-a A.R. 3-4-4:VI 3-5-2 Penalty
A.R. 4-1-2:VI 6-3-10-c A.R. 6-3-11:III
A.R. 7-1-4:VIII 7-1-5-a-5 7-3-3-d
7-3-4 A.R. 7-3-4:II A.R. 7-3-8:VI
A.R. 7-3-9:I 8-3-2 A.R. 9-1-2:III
9-1-6-a-2 A.R. 9-1-6:VI 9-1-11-e
9-1-16-a-4-c A.R. 9-1-16:VI A.R. 9-2-2:I
10-1-7 11-2-1 12-2-1-b-3
12-2-1-b-4 12-2-2-a-4 12-2-2-a-8
12-3-1-a 13-1-3-c 13-2-2
13-3-1-a 13-3-1-b 13-3-1-c
13-3-2-a 13-3-2-b 13-3-2-c
13-3-2-e-3 13-3-3-b 13-3-3-e
13-3-3-f 13-3-4 13-3-5-c-1
13-3-6-a 13-3-6-b 13-3-6-c
13-3-6-f 13-4-1-a 13-4-1-a-1
13-4-2-b 13-4-3-b 13-5-3
13-5-4 13-5-5-a 13-5-5-b
13-5-5-c 13-5-5-d 13-5-6-a
13-5-6-b 13-5-8-b 13-5-8-b-7
13-5-8-b-9 13-5-9-a 13-7-2-d
Appendix C Appendix D

In addition, there has been an overhaul of the "Summary of penalties" categories "Report", "Report (sanction)" and "Stop and report", with many entries moving to a more appropriate category.

Summary of differences between NCAA and IFAF rules

NCAA Rule IFAF difference
1-2-5-f Procedure for dealing with missing goals.
1-4-11 Drones prohibited.
2-3-6-a The free-blocking zone is centred on the snapper, not the middle lineman.
2-11-3 Definition of batting includes the head.
2-16-10-a Punter needs only be 7 yards deep; kicker/holder need only be 5 yards deep to count as a scrimmage kick formation.
2-27-12 Whether a disqualified player is suspended for the next game is matter for the disciplinary authority. There is no distinction between disqualified and ejected - all such players must leave the playing enclosure.
3-1-1 During coin toss, teams must remain in the team area.
3-2-3 Period can be extended for foul on field goal or illegal touching violation.
3-2-4 Play clock reset only if it drops below 20 seconds before ball ready.
3-3-2 Running clock.
3-3-2-e-1 Clock stops to award all first downs, not just in last two minutes of half.
3-3-7 No short timeouts.
3-3-8 Two-minute warning cannot happen before 2'00.
4-1-2-b Ball may belong to recovering team after inadvertent whistle. Ball may belong to Team B after inadvertent whistle on scrimmage kick. Ignore inadvertent whistle if ball would have become dead anyway in the immediate continuing action.
4-1-3 Ball is dead if players in vicinity believe it is.
6-1-7-b/ 8-6-2 All touchbacks are from the 20-yard line.
7-2-5 Both fumbles and backward passes at rest awarded according to forward fumble principles. NCAA rule only applies to fumbles.
9-1-3&4/ 9-5-1 No half-game suspensions.
9-1-7-c Spot of foul for blocking out of bounds is spot on nearest sideline.
9-2-2 Additional unfair tactics.
9-2-2-e No disqualification for illegal cleats.
9-2-2-f No more than ONE player allowed to be assigned the same number in a competitive game.
9-2-7 Referee may require persons to be removed from the playing enclosure.
9-6 Flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct fouls can be reviewed for additional sanctions.
10-2-7-a Non-flagrant personal foul enforcement can carry forward.
12 Video judge rule.

This list ignores differences that address field limitations, NCAA competition structures (e.g. conferences) or equipment restrictions. It also ignores minor wording changes that do not have significant effect on the way the game is played.


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Editor: Jim Briggs, BAFA/BAFRA Rules Committee
rules@britishamericanfootball.org