One of the season’s biggest fake outs has now been permanently banned — at least for the postseason. Reacting to Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett’s dazzling scoring run in the ACC Championship Game, the NCAA sent a rules interpretation Thursday that bans the so-called “fake slide” by ball carriers.
NCAA secretary-rules editor Steve Shaw sent an email blast to officials adding language to Rule 12-3-3 that deals with dead balls and loose balls. The interpretation told officials the ball will become dead if a ballcarrier “simulates or fakes as if he will begin a feet-first slide.”
Pickett’s 58-yard touchdown run to open scoring in the ACC Championship Game went viral when he deked a Wake Forest defender by briefly simulating a slide. Pickett later admitted to the tactic which, until Thursday, wasn’t covered by the rules.
Officials were concerned that defensive players who had been taught to let up when a quarterback slides will keep attacking knowing they could be faked out.
“From a player safety standpoint, everybody is aware of the play now,” Shaw told CBS Sports. “We’ll know [a fake] on the field when we see it, and we’ll kill it.”
The ban does not provide for a penalty to be called. Rather, it allows officials to blow the play dead at the spot. The official’s call will not be reviewable.
The rules change will the Army-Navy Game on Saturday, bowl season, the College Football Playoff and postseason competition at the FCS, Division II and Division III levels.
It will be taken up for a full review next spring by the NCAA Rules Committee. A midseason interpretation or adjustment to rules is common, Shaw said.
