Since the NCAA doesn’t have the answer for faking injuries…

[allstar34bd]

Let’s ask AI.

Faking injuries in college football is a tactic used to disrupt fast-paced offenses, and it can indeed be frustrating for teams and fans alike. To address this issue, here are a few potential recommendations:


1. Mandatory Injury Timeout Rule
Implement a rule that requires a player who leaves the game due to an injury to sit out for a minimum amount of time, like the remainder of that drive or multiple plays (e.g., 4-5). This would discourage fake injuries because it forces teams to play without that player for a longer period.


2. Team Medical Evaluation
Allow officials to call for independent medical evaluations of injured players during suspicious circumstances. If the injury is not deemed serious by the neutral evaluator, the team could face a penalty, such as losing a timeout or a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.


3. Timeout Penalties for Repeat Offenses
If a team has multiple injury stoppages in a short period, the team could be penalized by losing timeouts. If they have no timeouts left, they could be subject to yardage penalties. This would make teams more hesitant to stop the game for fake injuries, especially late in games when timeouts are crucial.



4. Post-Game Review and Penalties
The NCAA or conference officials could review film after games to determine if players are faking injuries. If a team is found guilty, they could be fined, or players and coaches could face suspensions. This would create accountability, even if it’s difficult to determine intent in real-time.


5. Challenge System for Injury Timeouts
Consider implementing a challenge system similar to other replay challenges in football. Coaches could challenge an injury timeout if they suspect it is fake. If the challenge is successful, the team that faked the injury could face penalties such as loss of down or yards.


6. Automatic Play Clock Reduction
When an injury timeout is called, the offensive team could receive an automatic reduction in the play clock time (e.g., resetting to 25 seconds). This would prevent the defense from gaining significant rest while minimizing disruption to the offense’s pace.

7. Stiffened Coaching Penalties
Hold coaches more accountable for encouraging players to fake injuries. If teams have a history of suspicious injury stoppages, coaches could be fined or suspended. This would hit teams where it hurts most—game strategy and leadership.

Implementing a combination of these solutions could help deter the abuse of injury timeouts while ensuring that legitimate injuries are handled properly.

 

[allstar34bd]

Would you support any of the above?

 

[SCRocket]

Any idea is better than none, unless you’re a team that doesn’t base their whole offense on speed.

 

[#1fulmerite]

Seems #1 would be the only honest means of curing this.

 

[malinoisvol]

If the player has to leave the field due to injury then, for his safety, that player must sit for the rest of that series. If the player has to leave the game again, he will be forced to sit the rest of the half. A third injury would bar him from the rest of the game. All in the name of player safety.

 

[C-south]

I say the first injury of each half is a freebie. After that the player sits x number of plays. If you want him to enter the game sooner you have to burn a timeout. Plays with back to back injuries is an automatic forced timeout. If you don’t have a timeout then it’s a delay of game penalty.

 

[ZZ13]

There is a much less complicated solution. Ban Kiffin from college football. Just go with a lifetime ban and be done with it.

 

[MHS Rebel]

Did anyone else notice that when the first FLA player went down, the trainers were running onto the field BEFORE he went down? May not have shown on TV, but I was there live. They were 5-10 yards onto the field before he "cramped."

 

[Volnanza]

Just go back to the way it was. It used to be that if you were hurt and couldn't make it off the field, then it cost you a TO. It was very common to see players hopping off on one leg trying to beat the play clock. It was like that for years. In the interest of player safety, they started the injury timeouts which costs a team nothing. But, as in real life, there are always slim bags that will abuse a rules just to try and get an advantage. So a rule that is meant to help protect the players has to be changed because some coaches don't give a crap about player safety.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

If the player has to leave the field due to injury then, for his safety, that player must sit for the rest of that series. If the player has to leave the game again, he will be forced to sit the rest of the half. A third injury would bar him from the rest of the game. All in the name of player safety.

You guys will go ape crap crazy if someone like Cooper Mays goes down with a ding then is stuck sitting out. Or McCoy in the secondary and then we get burnt deep two plays later.

 

[WiseOlVol]

The SEC commissioner brings in every HC and staff, one team at a time, and asks them if they instruct their players to flop.

Before they answer, the coaches are shown examples of their team flopping.

Including, in particular, when the player gets up, looks to the sideline, then flops.

Whatever the answers, the SEC imposes a penalty for future organized flopping, effectively immediately.

 

[chattaboogie]

The best answer I’ve seen is the player misses anywhere from the remainder of the series to the remainder of the quarter. I think either one would be a step in the right direction.

 

[allenrikvik]

The solution is that the injured player that halts the game progress must sit out for the next 3 game minutes, measured by the game clock. This imposes a penalty on the 'flop' player. If they are injured, this is not an issue. The Kiffin way around is to put in a deep backup to flop, which minimizes the impact.

 

[MEDVOL]

Every HC will say yes and/or have an example.

 

[Chilmonty]

Ban Kiffin from ever coaching again!

 

[LouderVol]

I don't think I would like the multiple injuries within a certain time. it seemed like we had injuries grouped up in the Oklahoma game.

I also remember the first time we played TAMU under Butch. it seemed like every drive we had someone go down, and they were all legit. under this we would be penalized.

the issues with any type of review even by another doctor, is how do you test a cramp after the fact? or someone getting the air knocked out of them. Also some injuries you legit don't know how bad it is until you take a step or two to test it. When I tore my ACL it was *pop* "hunh that was weird", got up and kept going, took my next step with that leg and it was unbelievable pain. some of those tweaks and twists are the same way, you are banged up every play in football, and may not know if you are injured, or if you are just hurting.

forcing the guy to sit for a while, and limiting that teams substitutions to only that player, would go a long way.

even Kiffin isn't going to have a walkon on the field during a big defensive drive to just fake an injury. that is too much of a weakness and would get targeted by the offense.

 

[adam.vol]

I would challenge Mertz’s injury based on what I saw, but that guy is definitely injured. Same goes for Pili.

There should be a cool down period for any injury to see whether the player stiffens up or can still play at a high enough level. Protecting the player’s health is how these fake injuries should be handled.

 

[gm1ll]

Treat injuries as injuries, not like a timeout. No additional subs other than the injured player. No coaching staff/players other than relevant medical personnel. No huddling at the sidelines with the offense/defense.

Players must remain between the hashes. Staff must remain behind the sideline except as noted to tend the injured player.

 

[Volfan1000]

A one game suspension for faking an injury should be implemented and that would curtail this situation.

 

[Dudleys87]

Or if it’s an obvious flop

Throwing the player out completely.

An obvious flop is looking over at the sideline for the signal taking a step and crumpling to the ground like you got hit with a taser.

 

[wmcovol]

Give each team 2 “injury timeouts” per half. If a team uses those& has an injured player later, they can take a reg TO or take a delay of game penalty. Coaches will save those TOs like they do reg TOS now.

I don’t like making players sit cause 1) if your QB is shaken up on the last drive, you’re screwed & 2) coaches can sub a player in simply to fall down

Anything is better than this. Unlimited TOs.

 

[LouderVol]

Give each team 2 “injury timeouts” per half. If a team uses those& has an injured player later, they can take a reg TO or take a delay of game penalty. Coaches will save those TOs like they do reg TOS now.

I don’t like making players sit cause 1) if your QB is shaken up on the last drive, you’re screwed & 2) coaches can sub a player in simply to fall down

Anything is better than this. Unlimited TOs.

you could always let a timeout reset the injury "clock". if your QB goes down he has to come out in the current rules regardless. even a timeout reset wouldn't/shouldn't be immediate.

subbing someone in to flop would still allow the other team to substitute and slow the game down. it also puts a liability on the field during an important time.

 

[VOLLeeann]

Would you support any of the above?

It would be foolish to support anything until we master telepathy

 

[zjcvols]

Player that leaves the drive with an injury is done for the drive. It's simple.

 

[hog88]

Player that leaves the drive with an injury is done for the drive. It's simple.

It is that simple. Can't come back until after a change of possession.