4 of 9

Write now Article Tools

In the eyes of the casual fan, NCAA and NFL football may look identical. College players have, especially over the last 15 years or so, become more talented, faster, and stronger. The professional game and the college game do in fact have many similarities. This is not to say that they are mirror images of each other though. When the games are dissected and looked at very closely, there are differences that emerge.

Arguably, the biggest difference in rules between the NFL and the NCAA is catching the football. In the NFL a player must catch the football, maintain clear possession of the football and keep both of his feet in bounds in order to catch the ball legally. All the same is true in the NCAA except a player need only to get one foot in the field of play. This rule may change soon however, as college athletes are becoming more and more talented and accustomed to the NFL rules as well. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:off ice:office" />

The next big rule difference is in regards to a player being ruled down. The NFL rules state that a player must be brought to the ground by an opposing player; this includes any contact that causes a player to go down no matter how insignificant it may seem. In the NFL if a player falls to the ground without having been touched by the opposing team he can get up and continue the play, so long as he is not touched while he is on the ground. In the NCAA however, regardless of how a player falls to the ground, the play is over. There is no continuation of play once a player is ruled down, this means that a part of the player's body other than his hands or feet touch the ground.

The third major difference deals with the play clock. Play clocks in the NFL are set to 45 seconds after each play is over. The NCAA recently changed their rule to a 40 second play clock after the previous play is over, prior to this change teams were given 25 seconds after the ball was set. A play is ruled over once the referee blows his whistle and the play clock is then reset.

The final difference in rules is the rarest to be seen but still happens quite frequently, overtime. In the NFL, when the game is tied after four quarters of play, teams go into a "sudden death" overtime period. A coin is flipped at the beginning of the period to determine possession and the first team thereafter to score wins the game. In the college game the coin toss determines possession as well, but both teams get a chance to score. The first team to get the ball starts at the opposing team's 25 yard line and game rules apply. Regardless of whether or not the team scores, the other team gets a chance to have possession. If the second team to get the ball scores more points on their possession, they win. If they score the same amount of points, the process repeats itself in the reverse order. If the score is still tied after three possessions for each team, teams are then required to go for a two point conversion if they score a touchdown. This process is played out until one team has more points after an equal number of possessions.

Although these are not all the rule differences between the two games, they are the ones seen most frequently, the most important to the flow of a game, and the ones that would have the greatest impact on the outcome as well.

Learn more about this author, Nathan Halfpenny.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How college football rules are different from NFL rules?
We want to hear your view. Write now!