Clemson Football: Important rule changes for the 2020 season

Important rule changes for the upcoming 2020 Clemson football season

The Clemson football team is set to kickoff the 2020 season in just a matter of days.

The Tigers will open up their season on the road against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 7:30 p.m. on ABC Saturday, Sept. 12 in Truist Stadium.

With the season approaching quickly, there are many rule changes that Clemson football fans should be aware of that pertain to the games played this fall. The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame shared a press release detailing the changes that fans should expect to see, in partnership with College Football Officiating (CFO).

Here’s a look at some of the intriguing changes and how those pertain to Clemson football.

• Player numbering: A team can now only have two players with the same number. Previously, there were no limits on duplicated numbers. The two players just couldn’t be on the field at the same time.
• Targeting: After a player is disqualified for targeting, they can now remain on the sidelines with their team rather than being ejected. All other disqualifying fouls (fighting, two unsportsmanlike calls, etc.) will still be followed by ejection.
• Instant Replay/Clock Adjustment: If the clock expires at the end of a half, and replay determines that there was time remaining on the clock, and the clock would start on the Referee’s signal after review, there must be at least 3 seconds remaining when the ball should have been declared dead to restore time to the clock. With 2 seconds or 1 second remaining on the clock, the half is over. This change will not impact situations when the clock is stopped and will remain stopped until the snap such as incomplete passes and runners out of bounds. In addition, the expectation is that the Instant Replay Official will not exceed two minutes to complete any review. The exception is if the review has end of game impact or has multiple aspects as a part of the review, it should be completed efficiently but will have no stated time limit.

COVID-19 Protocols & Adjustments:

• Only one captain from each team can be present for the pregame toss. Previously, you could have up to four.
• A medical mask made of cloth attached to the facemask below the eye shield area will now be allowed. If worn by any squad member of a team, medical masks must be of the same color and design and must be of a solid color with no advertising, slogans, or insignia. The medical mask may bear the team logo.
• As authorized by the institution or conference, commemorative/memorial patch (e.g., names, mascots, nicknames, logos, and marks intended to celebrate or memorialize persons, events, or other causes) are allowed.
• To promote enhanced social distancing, the Team Area will be lengthened from the current configuration between the 25-yard lines and expanded to the 15-yard lines. This will enlarge the Team Area an additional 10 yards on each end of the field, resulting in a 70-yard-wide total team area.

In addition, officials will all wear a black mask and will have electronic whistles, rather than the traditional whistles.

Things are going to look different for Clemson football this fall

No matter how you look at it, things are going to look different when we see the Clemson football team take the field this fall.

Officials will have electronic whistles instead of traditional whistles. Players will be expected to social distance as much as possible on the sideline.

Probably the most intriguing rule change for this coming season happens to be with the instant replay. A replay official is expected to make their decision within two minutes. Having this amount of- hopeful- accountability and making quicker decisions is going to speed the game up and, in turn, keep momentum going rather than slowing down and taking forever on big reviews.

The Clemson football team enters the 2020 season as the favorites to win the National Championship and repeat as ACC Champions for a sixth-straight year.