College football’s targeting rule might be getting a makeover soon. The controversial penalty has seen fewer flags in recent seasons, but when officials throw one, it still sparks heated debate. Now the NCAA is planning to take a fresh look at the rule this offseason.
Steve Shaw, who serves as both the national coordinator of officials and the NCAA’s secretary-rules editor, told Yahoo Sports that decision-makers are considering changes to make targeting penalties “less punitive.” Shaw emphasized the importance of ongoing evaluation, saying, “We’re going to be having a discussion on targeting. That needs to be an annual discussion. It will be a focus discussion.”
The targeting rule isn’t new — the NCAA introduced it back in 2008 as a player safety measure. What started as just a 15-yard penalty has evolved into something much more severe. In 2013, the NCAA added an automatic ejection for any player flagged for targeting.
It gets worse if the foul happens late in a game.
Players ejected for targeting in the second half don’t just miss the rest of that game — they’re also suspended for the first half of their next contest. This suspension element is likely first on the chopping block as the NCAA reconsiders the rule’s severity.
Balancing Safety and Fairness
Shaw acknowledges the rule has successfully changed player behavior, but questions remain about its harshness. “What targeting has driven in terms of player behavior change has been really good and the numbers reflect that,” he said. “But how can we continue this trend of taking out more of these hits we don’t want in the game while being less punitive?”
Critics of the current rule argue that ejections and potential half-game suspensions are too extreme — especially when the call affects championship games. Miami coach Mario Cristobal experienced this firsthand during last season’s College Football Playoff run when cornerback Xavier Lucas was flagged in the semifinals against Ole Miss.
The call came after Lucas launched himself at Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee, making forceful helmet contact during a tackle. The penalty meant Lucas had to sit out the first 30 minutes of the national championship game — a crushing blow for the Hurricanes’ defense in their biggest contest of the year.
Cristobal didn’t hide his frustration with the rule’s impact. “We feel it was unjustly administered, and now it impacts the last game of the season,” he said after the incident. “We do have the ability, again, as an officiating crew and the powers that be to revisit that to give every team due process and their best ability to compete in this game.”
One popular proposal gaining traction would create different levels of targeting penalties — similar to how basketball handles flagrant fouls. Less severe infractions (like Lucas’ hit) might fall under “Level I” targeting, carrying only a 15-yard penalty. More dangerous, intentional hits could be classified as “Level II” violations, which would still result in both the yardage penalty and ejection.
The NCAA hasn’t announced a timeline for potential changes, but with player safety remaining a priority and coaches pushing for reform, the targeting rule’s evolution appears inevitable.
