Ask A Back Judge: 2026 NCAA Football Rule Changes

Tristan Raisch

August 11, 2026 35

Happy pre-season, my fellow Hokies, and welcome back to the party. After the record-scratch which was the 2025 Virginia Tech football season, things certainly appear to be going in a much more exciting direction these days. As if to help Tech fans everywhere celebrate, the NCAA has rolled out some interesting tweaks to the football rule book, which is what we’re going to dive into today.

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Ask A Back Judge 2026 Preseason Football

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35 Comments

FIN Hokie 97 August 24, 2026 at 8:40 AM

I know you wrote this a while back, but I’ve just had the chance to sit down and catch up after getting kids off to school… First, I want you to know how much I look forward to your articles. I value these articles immensely! Plus it is pretty cool to be able to talk to others anout things and sound like I know way more than I actually do! Quick question, why are they placing so much emphasis on this specific “celebration?” I get that it maybe it isn’t the most “upstanding,” but with so many other areas that seem more logical to place the refs attention…why this specifically?
DloOwnsRoscoe August 18, 2026 at 7:42 PM

How is a punt situation defined? Any 4th down without a holder? If you quick kick from a regular formation does the numbering rule apply?
uwhokie August 17, 2026 at 5:46 AM

I’ve thought that offensive PI should be ten yards — comparable to offensive holding — for a long time. Excellent change!
Freddyburg Hokie August 12, 2026 at 9:40 AM

"The committee did not approve a change which would have “required players to wear leg coverings from the top of their shoes to the bottom of their pants.” [deep sigh] Just make the players wear their pants and pads properly. Is that seriously too much to ask?" I'd just like to see the players required to wear pants that cover their knees, outlawing the shorts. Is *that* too much to ask?
1. TechHokie13 August 14, 2026 at 11:20 PM
  
  I know, right? I just worked a high school scrimmage that involved us telling a head coach that the majority of his players would be sent off if they came on the field equipped like that (pants rolled up as far as they could get them, essentially). I just don't see the appeal. David Wilson looked plenty fast enough with pads covering his kneecaps, after all.
HtownHokie August 11, 2026 at 11:27 PM

TR: great article to start off the season, and reviewing the new rules is a smart pre-emptive. anytime the NCAA national coordinator of football officials [or anyone ncaa gets involved] would review both the first and second offenses is a perilous situation for me. over the decades VT has been the victim of many no-calls and poor calls. some would say we've had our share or more than our fair share of questionable zebra judgements going our way. i am not of that latter opinion; hence week after week you cool my inner Hokie meltdowns about calls i disagree with by pointing out rules and situations from refs' viewpoints, their subtleties, etc, etc. so, many thanks for being a voice of reason and objectiveness when i have needed it.
1. TechHokie13 August 14, 2026 at 11:17 PM
  
  Thanks, happy to hear the column has had thre intended effect! 😄 And I certainly see the concern with getting the national coordinator involved, but I actually like that element. It at least removes some of the natural variation that exists crew-to-crew and conference-to-conference. If the central office agrees that two separate targeting ejections were justified, they probably were.
DonHo-kieHi August 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM

Thanks for your excellent summary. But are we ever going to see an offensive targeting call where the ball carrier lowers his head into a legitimate attempt to make a tackle. Happens a lot OMHO
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 2:13 PM
  
  Thanks! And I don't think so. I forget where I saw/heard this (if I can find the citation, I'll include it in my next targeting article - we all know it'll happen at some point), but essentially, the offense almost by definition can't target an opponent if they're attempting to cover the ball and break a tackle, because they aren't targeting that specific opponent. To see that called, I think you'd have to see a runner in the open basically rear up and launch at a defender who would otherwise be barely involved in the play. I'm not saying it'll never happen, but so long as the ballcarrier can be reasonably convincing that they're covering the ball/preparing for impact, he won't be called for crown-of-helmet targeting.
GoneFishin Hokie August 11, 2026 at 1:26 PM

Brandishing a weapon is just an Unsportsman Conduct penalty? I know where you were going with this, but it just reads (not so) funny. 🤣
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM
  
  The wording cracks me up as well, and that was a direct copy/paste (I think it was just from the press release/change announcement document - I haven't gotten the 2026 rule book yet). I also agree that a felony should probably carry more than a 15 yard penalty 😂
HokieJB August 11, 2026 at 12:04 PM

Love your writing style. Very readable.
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 2:09 PM
  
  Thanks, much appreciated!
LaneRat August 11, 2026 at 11:47 AM

Thanks for the article. Personally I like the fair-catch kick rule. One of those quirky elements that, on rare occasions, can create chaos. Like the 1-point safety. Joey Slye missed a 60y FCK in a game in London a few years ago.
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 2:09 PM
  
  I am likewise a sucker for some once-in-a-blue-moon chaos. Thanks for reading!
EDGEMAN August 11, 2026 at 11:01 AM

I do wish targeting was called one of two ways, intentional or incidental. We know the intentional targeting, and that should receive the full brunt of the penalty, but when there's a "bam, bam" play that the officials need to spend time trying to determine if it was or wasn't targeting, it shouldn't be treated as harshly as the former. Maybe give it half the weight of intentional targeting?
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 11:18 AM
  
  Agree 100%. I can't count the number of targeting flags I've thrown in my career, but I've only actually ejected one or two players for targeting. It's not hard at all to differentiate between a sloppy tackle and a straight-up cheap shot. Any time you're taking 4 minutes to go frame-by-frame to determine if the technical definition of targeting was met, an ejection is inappropriate, imo.
Hokester August 11, 2026 at 10:34 AM

Tristan, Really appreciate all your insights into the vagaries of the college football officiating world. That free kick rule still has my head spinning and I am still not sure how it works. I can only imagine all of the "What the hell?" comments coming from the stands when the rule is imposed during a game. I did a little research on the rule and found that in the NFL it has only been applied a couple of times in the last 20 years so I am guessing we won't be seeing it too much. Keep up the good work!
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:41 AM
  
  Oh yeah, it'll still be super rare, just because the circumstances in which it's useful will hardly be common (end of half/game, score is such that a field goal is useful, and you've made/been awarded a fair catch in a spot where your kicker can hit it from off the turf). But it's still a nifty wrinkle to have available if the opportunity presents itself. And of course, the first team to attempt it/pull it off is guaranteed some SportsCenter airtime.
3TechFanz August 11, 2026 at 10:21 AM

So glad we get another year of Football guys wearing biker shorts. This was the easiest rule change to make.
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:38 AM
  
  I hate it so much.... looks ridiculous. And didn't Dyrell Roberts get compartment syndrome in his leg even *with* properly-worn pads?? It's beyond me how the NCAA has let that slide. It doesn't even have to be addressed by the on-field crew. Just slap a hefty post-game fine on it, and watch the issue disappear.
  1. Austin Gobbler August 11, 2026 at 11:18 AM
    
    I just watched the ACCN replay of last season's VT vs Cal game. I attended that game, but I failed at the time to realize how ridiculaous some of those Cal defenders looked in their short pants. It's also a wonder they didn't end up hurting a knee or bone on the leg - crazy!
    1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 2:51 PM
      
      Bonkers. Complete lunacy. Makes a travesty of the game.
TomTurkey August 11, 2026 at 10:16 AM

I still think targeting, beyond the obvious headhunting, aka Oakland Raiders' "The Assassin," should be applied post-game commensurate with any concussion protocol applied to the affected player, intentional or not. CTE doesn't recognize intent.
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:44 AM
  
  I'm good with some level of in-game correction. You and I both know how satisfying it is to flag a kid for unsafe/improper technique, and then a few drives later see him make the same play safely/legally once he had a chance to make the correction. That's what bothers me so much about the automatic disqualification: sure, you highlight the problem, but you rob the player of the chance to make the right play/begin ingraining the right habits at game speed right away.
TbirdHokie August 11, 2026 at 9:39 AM

So happy you're back for this season! I love your columns! Thank you for sharing your insights. Always fantatic!
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:12 AM
  
  Thanks, TBird! Happy to be back for as long as Will & Chris will tolerate me 😁
middletennhokie August 11, 2026 at 9:21 AM

Great summary Tristan, very informative!
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:11 AM
  
  Thanks, glad it's helpful!
Riverguy August 11, 2026 at 9:09 AM

Very informative. This is the first of your pieces I've read and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to more!
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:11 AM
  
  Welcome to the party, pal! 😄 Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy the series.
hokiepro August 11, 2026 at 8:56 AM

Good summary thank you!
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:10 AM
  
  Thanks for reading!
MDHokie79 August 11, 2026 at 8:47 AM

Players will hopefully be fully schooled re: the Dead-ball contact fouls rule. No more nonsense during the game....keep your head in it! GO HOKIES@
1. TechHokie13 August 11, 2026 at 10:10 AM
  
  By the firdt game? Optimistic. By week 12? Probably only slightly less optimistic 😆

Ask A Back Judge: 2026 NCAA Football Rule Changes

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