Under the 2014 targeting rule, Georgia would have stopped Vanderbilt on fourth down last season with Ramik Wilson’s text-book pass break-up and taken over on offense. Whether the Bulldogs would have hung on to win from there, well, nobody will ever know.
That’s probably small consolation for Georgia’s fans or players, but games have been won and lost on questionable officiating calls forever. And, ultimately, the ludicrousness of the outcome of that play and that rule — a 15-yard penalty enforced despite the foul being overturned from the video booth — helped lead to the reform and change of the targeting call for the 2014 season.
This year, the 15 yards won’t be marked off if the targeting foul is overturned, unless it involved an additional foul such as roughing the passer or late hit. That has been established since this past spring and was further explained in detail by Steve Shaw, the SEC’s coordinator of officials, during a session with reporters Wednesday morning at SEC Football Media Days.
Shaw called last year’s implementation of the new targeting rule “the biggest change in my officiating career, my 24 years both on the field and as a coordinator.” But it also said it was successful overall.
“What were the results of that?,” Shaw said. “Well, first let me say we had to change player behavior for the good of the game, and that had had an impact on behavior. … I can tell you when I look at video, I see evidence now of players lowering the target and, quite frankly, pulling up on an unnecessary hit so they’re not at risk for disqualification. I think the rule has done exactly what we wanted it to do. We have to stay with it.”
Shaw cited a chart that showed that only five targeting calls were were made in the second half of last season compared to 14 in the first eight weeks. As a result, he said targeting will continue to be a point of emphasis in 2014, albeit enforced differently when overturned.
Officials have also been instructed to enforce a “strike zone” for defensive contact on a quarterback. Shaw defined it the area above the knees and below the neck. And intentional low hit on a quarterback’s legs can be flagged as targeting.
Another point of emphasis will be pace of play. As more and more teams are utilizing hurry-up, no-huddle spread offense, the SEC is adding an eighth official to help get the ball set and officials in position to “read their keys.” The new official’s title is “center judge” and his primary job is retrieving the ball and setting it for play. That previously was the duty of the umpire.
Shaw insisted it’s not to help speed up the pace of play. He pointed out that the umpire and line judge often had their backs to the play on the snap of the ball last season. Officials are instructed not to walk nor to sprint, rather to use a “crisp jog” to get the ball set.
“The intent not to go faster or slower, but to officiate better,” he said.
Nationally, Shaw said the points of emphasis this season will be pace of play, sideline management and control, unsportsmanlike conduct fouls and, of course, targeting and dangerous contact fouls.
“I heard a lot of fans say the targeting rules is going to ruin the game,” Shaw said. “But if you look at 2013, it was one of the most exciting years we’ve had.”
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