College vs NFL Rules

[thebane5]

I know there are several differences, but the main one I'm trying to find out WHY there is a difference is when a player is 'down.' Help it make sense to me that a NFL player can stumble and fall without being touched or catch a ball with a knee down, and get up and go score, but the same play in college would be blown dead due to the player being down.

 

[37620VOL]

Because the NFL rule is dumb and the NCAA rule makes sense

 

[Doberman]

It just ‘Is’.

 

[wrangler]

I believe that the original intent was to protect student athletes from injuries caused by getting hit after they were down.

 

[S.C. OrangeMan]

I know there are several differences, but the main one I'm trying to find out WHY there is a difference is when a player is 'down.' Help it make sense to me that a NFL player can stumble and fall without being touched or catch a ball with a knee down, and get up and go score, but the same play in college would be blown dead due to the player being down.

Simple difference.

In the NFL, any player down in bounds must be down by contact with a member of the opposing team.

In college, the player is down if any body part other than a hand or foot touches the ground, regardless of the cause.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I know there are several differences, but the main one I'm trying to find out WHY there is a difference is when a player is 'down.' Help it make sense to me that a NFL player can stumble and fall without being touched or catch a ball with a knee down, and get up and go score, but the same play in college would be blown dead due to the player being down.

As someone mentioned, it's safety. There's kind of a gentleman's agreement (and perhaps a "defenseless" penalty) these days in the NFL that if a guy is down and you can just touch him before he gets up, you don't blow him up.

That's not always been the case. The NFL used to be pretty brutal and what are now considered cheap shots and penalties were solid hits, including demolishing a guy who tripped and is just laying there.

The NCAA couldn't stomach that so they made down...... down.

 

[SaintLouisVol]

The way college plays “down” is the same as any football I ever played in pee wee, middle school, hs, etc. Only the nfl says you can get back up if you’re not touched.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Because the NFL rule is dumb and the NCAA rule makes sense

The power 2 almost has the parity of the NFL. The NCAA should adopt the same XP kick rule, moving the ball back to the 15. It shouldn't be so easy as it is now. A partial shank squeaks in there.