NCAA Softens Targeting Penalty, Focuses on Repeat Offenders

A targeting ejection no longer carries an automatic punishment for the next game, except for multiple-time offenders.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 8:50am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college football player making a tackle, with the player's body and the action broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color, capturing the intensity and physicality of the sport.The NCAA's updated targeting rule seeks to curb dangerous hits while avoiding overly harsh penalties for first-time offenders.Indianapolis Today

The NCAA has made changes to its college football targeting rule, eliminating the automatic suspension for the next game after a targeting ejection. However, the harsher penalty remains in place for repeat offenders who receive multiple targeting fouls. The NCAA studied data from the 2025 season and found that no player was flagged for three targeting penalties, leading them to conclude the rule has been effective in reducing dangerous 'head-hunting' plays.

Why it matters

The targeting rule is a key player safety measure in college football, aimed at eliminating dangerous hits to the head and neck area. By softening the penalty for first-time offenders, the NCAA hopes to strike a better balance between player safety and not overly punishing players for inadvertent or borderline targeting calls.

The details

Under the new rule, a player ejected for targeting in the second half of a game will no longer automatically miss the first half of the next game. However, if a player receives multiple targeting penalties, the original suspension penalty will still apply, requiring them to sit out the first half of the following game. The NCAA says this change comes after studying data that showed no players received three targeting fouls in the 2025 season, indicating the rule has been effective in curbing dangerous hits.

  • The NCAA's Division I Football Bowls Subdivision Oversight Committee passed the rule changes on March 19, 2026.
  • The new targeting penalty rules will be implemented for the 2026 college football season.

The players

Greg Burks

Big 12's Coordinator of Officials.

Steve Shaw

NCAA's national coordinator of officials, longtime SEC referee and officiating head.

Scott Draper

Big 12 Chief Football and Competition Office.

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What they’re saying

“The safety factor was driving the rule and was the impetus and that kind of has come to fruition.”

— Greg Burks, Big 12's Coordinator of Officials

“Part of this rule is if we do have a second occurrence, the original penalty comes into effect. A third requires sitting out a full game.”

— Greg Burks, Big 12's Coordinator of Officials

“They have put a lot of resources into their officiating program, how they make their rules is really important. That's something I'm focused on for college football.”

— Scott Draper, Big 12 Chief Football and Competition Office

What’s next

If the trend of declining targeting penalties reverses and more players are flagged multiple times, the NCAA says the original suspension penalty will be reinstated, requiring players to sit out the first half of the next game after a targeting ejection.

The takeaway

The NCAA's adjustments to the targeting rule aim to find the right balance between player safety and overly punitive measures, focusing on repeat offenders while giving first-time offenders a reprieve. This reflects the league's data-driven approach to improving officiating and player welfare in college football.