Five major college football rule changes, and one new one, fans need to know for 2026 season

College Football is going to look a little different in 2026.

This comes as the sport’s rule makers have made some changes to the on-field rules.

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These changes made collaboratively with the National Football Foundation, College Football Hall of Fame and College Football Officiating will take effect across all conferences.

“The mission of the Rules Committee is to develop and evaluate rules changes that will enhance the sport, protect the image of the game, and enhance the student athlete’s health and safety,” Steve Shaw of the CFO said in a statement.

“Player safety has been the highest priority of the committee for many years now resulting in significant changes that have improved the game in terms of mitigating injuries.”

Some of the major changes are as follows:

College Football rule changes for 2026

Targeting penalty

he targeting rule is specifically designed to protect players from serious head and neck injuries

When called by an official, this triggers an automatic and mandatory video replay review, and all targeting fouls (a 15-yard penalty) which are upheld lead to a disqualification for the remainder of the game.

The old rule meant that if if a targeting foul was committed in the second half of a game, then there would be a carryover disqualification to the first half of the next game.

However, this has now been scrapped.

Instead, for a player’s first targeting foul of the season, there is now no carryover, and instead, the player is disqualified for the remainder of that game only.

However, if the same player were to receive a second targeting foul later down the line in the season, then the carryover would apply, while if a player commits targeting for a third time, then not only will the player be ejected from the game, they will also be suspended for the following game.

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Offensive pass interference penalty

A much simpler rule – if offensive pass interference is called, the penalty the offensive team receive has been reduced from 15 yards to 10 yards.

However, the 15-yard penalty for defensive pass interference still applies.

Unsportsmanlike conduct

A very minor adjustment as the rules committee is satisfied with the current ruling that sees the list of automatic unsportsmanlike conduct fouls to minimized to a list of five far broader actions to be penalized by all officials on a consistent basis.

This list is as follows:

• Any form of gun violence, including brandishing a weapon.
• A slashing of the throat or a nose wipe signal.
• A player removing their helmet after the ball is dead (with exceptions for timeouts and equipment adjustments).
• Dead-ball contact fouls, such as pushing, shoving, striking, etc., that occur clearly after the ball is dead and that are not part of the game action.
• After the ball is dead, using forcible contact to push or pull an opponent off the pile.

Jersey number exceptions

During scrimmage kick formations, there must be five players on the field from the offense that wear a jersey that is numbered between 50-79.

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This allows for both the defense and officials to be able to readily identify both eligible and ineligible receivers on punt plays.

The offense can have fewer than five lineman numbered 50-79, but only if they adhere to all of the following conditions:

• The snapper and two adjacent linemen on either side of the snapper, who are lined up in (or touching) the tackle box (2 X 2 formation) – these five linemen become exceptions to the numbering rule.
• These linemen are ineligible receivers by position and become exceptions to the numbering rule when the snapper takes his position.
• Once established as a numbering exception, they may not shift or move to another position.

Replay challenges and play clock amendments

When it comes to challenge calls made by officials, a head coach can now initiate a challenge by taking a timeout before the ball is next legally put into play.

The head coach must do this by informing the referee that they are challenging the ruling of the previous play that occurred.

Teams are also now granted two replay challenges a game, and if at least one of them are won, then a third challenge is awarded.

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However, a challenge can only be made if the team has a timeout remaining – with the timeout not being charged if the ruling is successful.

Following an Instant Replay review after the Two-Minute Timeout in both the second and fourth quarters of the contest, the time on the play clock at which the Replay Official stops the game for review is frozen.

This differs from the previous ruling that the play clock would be set to 25 seconds after a review.

But if the remaining time on the play clock is under 10 seconds when frozen, the clock will be reset to 10 seconds, beginning when the referee signals, therefore preventing offenses from running down the clock.

Brand new rule introduced

Fair catch kick

The 2026 season will also be the first time that the NCAA will implement a rule that allows for an uncontested field goal worth three points kick to take place.

However, this will only occur under very specific circumstances, including:

• To trigger the Fair Catch Kick, a fair catch of an opponent’s scrimmage kick or free kick must be completed.
• Following the fair catch (or awarded fair catch) the ball shall be put in play by a snap by the receiving team at the spot of the catch if the ball is caught. Optionally, the ball may be put in play by a Fair Catch Kick by the receiving team at the spot of the catch.
• This selection for a Fair Catch Kick must come from the head coach before the dead ball is next ready for play and the decision is irrevocable. Following the ready for play, there is no option of selecting a Fair Catch Kick.
• If a Fair Catch Kick is selected by the receiving team, the ball is put in play at the spot of the catch or the succeeding spot after penalties.
• If the catch is in a side zone, the ball is transferred into the nearest hash mark. There is no option for Team A to otherwise relocate the ball.
• The play clock will be set to 25 seconds, and the game clock starts when the ball is legally kicked.
• If the fair catch occurs as time expires in a half, the team is allowed to make the Fair Catch Kick as an untimed down.
• The Fair Catch Kick line for the kicking team is the most forward point of the spot of the fair catch (or awarded fair catch), or the succeeding spot after penalties.
• The Fair Catch Kick line for the receiving team is the yard line 10 yards in advance of the kicking team’s Fair Catch Kick line.
• The formation requirements for a Fair Catch Kick will follow Free Kick rules.
• The kick must be a field goal place kick with a holder (no tee) or a drop kick, and if the kick passes over the crossbar and through the uprights, a field goal is scored, and three points are awarded to the kicking team.
• If the Fair Catch Kick is unsuccessful, all rules pertaining to scrimmage kicks and the Next Play provisions of an unsuccessful field goal apply. 
• The receiving team may return the kick if it is possessed in the field of play or caught in the end zone. If the unsuccessful kick is untouched by the receivers, then they will take over and snap the ball at the previous spot (the spot of the kick), or the 20-yard line, in accordance with the Next Play provisions.

Other rules across college football include coach-to-play communications via the helmet becoming permissive for all NCAA divisions, including DII and DIII.

Equipment that enhances player safety, such as Guardian Caps, are also now permitted in-game, like that of the NFL.