NCAA changes spearing rule to make the game safer

NEW YORK -- The NCAA has a warning for college football players: See what you hit or expect to get flagged.

The NCAA changed its spearing rule in the offseason to remove any reference to intent. The old rule penalized players who intentionally led with their helmets, forcing officials to judge whether a dangerous, high-speed hit was deliberate. Not anymore.

Georgia athletic trainer Ron Courson, who headed a task force that studied the rule and initiated the change, said he hopes that more penalties will lead to a safer game.

"If we're in a game where we have five holding penalties, I know it's going to be addressed on Monday," Courson said. "If we have five of these penalties, it's going to get addressed."

Courson felt compelled to do something about the spearing rule after he was an eyewitness to one of the scariest hits of the 2004 season.

"Football is a violent game even if played appropriately, but if you do something inappropriate it can change your life," he said.

Georgia's Reggie Brown made a catch over the middle against Auburn and before he could turn up field, Junior Rosegreen flattened the receiver with a helmet-to-helmet hit that sent chills through Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Courson attended to Brown as the player lay motionless on the field.

Brown was lucky: He only ended up with a concussion. Rosegreen was even luckier. The way he led with his head left him vulnerable to a spine injury.

The hit got Courson thinking about how rarely he's seen spearing called in college football. The problem, he found, was in the wording of the rule.

"The rule said 'He must intentionally use his helmet to spear,' and we felt like it's hard to find an official to realize whether or not the players intentionally used it or whether he was just making a hit," Southeastern Conference coordinator of officials Bobby Gaston said. "So that will be a rule and a point of emphasis, not only in our conference, but nationally."

The NCAA is providing each school with posters showing what an illegal hit looks like. Courson also put together a video with examples of dangerous hits along with a presentation for athletic trainers to show their players and coaches.

Florida safety Jarvis Herring said the "See What You Hit" sign is in the Gators' locker room.