The NCAA Division I Oversight Committee approved changes to the targeting penalty structure Thursday. The move balances player safety with competitive fairness.
The new rule takes effect as a one-year trial for the 2026 season. It eliminates the automatic first-half suspension for players flagged for targeting in the second half, provided it’s their first offense of the season.
Under previous rules, any player ejected for targeting in the second half sat out the first half of their team’s next game.
Starting in 2026, the NCAA shifts to a progressive penalty system.
For the first offense, the player gets disqualified for the remainder of the current game but stays eligible to play the entire next game. The second offense results in disqualification for the remainder of the game and a first-half suspension in the next game.
If a player commits the offense for the third time, it results in disqualification for the remainder of the game and a full-game suspension for the next game.
The committee also introduced a formal appeals process for repeat offenders.
If a player gets flagged for a second time in a season, their conference can request a video review by the NCAA national coordinator of football officials. The review can cover both the first and second offenses, and if either gets overturned, the strike count gets reduced. It allows the player to avoid the suspension.
“This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure,” A.J. Edds, chair of the rules subcommittee, said last month. “We will closely monitor this one-year adjustment, and the committee believes it is important to enhance the progressive penalty to ensure proper coaching and player education.”
While targeting dominated the headlines, the committee also approved several other rules Thursday.
In a move to align with NFL and high school rules, teams can now choose to attempt a free kick from the spot of a fair catch. It allows teams to attempt long field goals without a snap or the threat of a rush, as the defense must remain 10 yards back.
The yardage penalty for offensive pass interference dropped from 15 yards to 10 yards. Officials received clear guidance to focus on taunting and demeaning celebrations.
