The NCAA Football Rules Committee is calling for officials to continue to use strict enforcement regarding flagrant personal fouls in an effort to bolster rules relating to student-athlete safety and sportsmanship.

Meeting February 9-11 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the committee reviewed examples of contact above the shoulders on defenseless players, which was a rule change before last season. While enforcement was generally positive at all levels last season, the committee continues to be concerned with flagrant contact that endangers student-athletes.

The committee is instructing officials to eject student-athletes more frequently when warranted. The group will distribute video examples to officials, coaches and conference administrators to educate and clarify what types of plays should result in an ejection.

Additionally, any flagrant foul will automatically trigger a review by the offending player’s conference. A representative from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association participated in discussions and noted that both players are at risk when these fouls occur.

The committee also reviewed ramifications for unsportsmanlike conduct fouls and seriously considered applying these fouls as live-ball fouls, which would penalize the offending team at the spot of the foul. An example would be a runner who taunts an opponent at the 10-yard line before scoring a touchdown. Instead of awarding the six points, a penalty would be assessed at the spot where the taunting took place, thus wiping away the touchdown.

While the committee did not recommend the penalty at this time, it does plan to continue to monitor this for possible future implementation.

The committee also took the following actions, though all rules proposals will be sent for membership comment and considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel before taking effect. PROP’s next meeting is April 15.

• Redefined the rules for roughing the kicker. Now, if the punter carries the ball outside the tackle box, he loses protections provided as a kicker.

• Approved a request to allow teams, when approved by the conference office and agreed to by both teams, to wear colored jerseys as long as they are clearly contrasting in color. When an agreement is unable to be reached, the visiting team shall wear white.

• Noted that the next edition of the rules book will be in effect for the 2009 and 2010 football seasons as part of the NCAA’s two-year playing-rules cycle.