Eye black messages, wedge blocks out

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Eye black with messages and wedge blocks will be banned from college football this fall, and taunting in the field of play will start costing teams points in 2011.

On Thursday, the NCAA's playing rules oversight panel approved the three rules changes.

The eye black trend grew in popularity because of Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow.

Bush wrote "619" on his eye-black patches, in reference to the area code for his hometown near San Diego, and Tebow cited Bible passages, such as "John 3:16."

One year after the NFL banned wedge blocking on kickoffs because of safety concerns, the NCAA followed the lead. The new rule says that when the team receiving a kickoff has more than two players standing within 2 yards of one another, shoulder to shoulder, it will be assessed a 15-yard penalty -- even if there is no contact between the teams.


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The NCAA has banned eye black messages, such as these worn by Tim Tebow at Florida.
The reason: NCAA studies have shown that 20 percent of all injuries occurring on kickoffs result in concussions.

"Everybody is looking to make sure we have a safe environment for the players," said Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. "On kickoffs, you have a lot of steam on both sides and you usually have what is called a 'wedge buster.' This will eliminate some of that."

The hope is it will reduce concussions, an issue that has received greater attention in the past year.

The NCAA deemed it so important that it made a rare rules change in an off-year of the normal two-year process.

But it's the taunting rule that likely will create the biggest buzz.

Currently, players who are penalized for taunting on their way to the end zone draw a 15-yard penalty on the extra point attempt, 2-point conversion attempt or the ensuing kickoff.

Beginning in 2011, live-ball penalties will be assessed from the spot of the foul and eliminate the score. Examples include players finishing touchdown runs by high-stepping into the end zone or pointing the ball toward an opponent.

Celebration penalties following a score will continue to be assessed on conversion attempts or the ensuing kickoff.

"I think one of the reasons it's been looked at is that when a penalty occurs on the field, it's normally taken from the spot," Teaff said. "This was the only occurrence that it wasn't taken from the spot, so they wanted to change that."

Taunting has caused an annual debate among college football players, coaches and fans, and last season's big controversy stemmed from Georgia receiver A.J. Green receiving a 15-year personal foul penalty after he caught a go-ahead touchdown pass late in a game against LSU.

The yardage from the penalty was assessed on the kickoff and helped LSU get into position to drive for the winning score. Southeastern Conference officials said later that there was no video evidence to support the flag on Green.

"The rules committee voted unanimously on this. Let's keep the lid on sportsmanship and prevent that type of demeaning," said Dave Parry, the NCAA's national coordinator of college football officiating. "I recall a play a few years ago where a player turned around at the 10 and teased the opponent with the ball. In the past this would be a penalty assessed on the extra point or kickoffs. Now, it's no touchdown."

Parry said the decision to implement the rule in 2011 gives players and coaches ample advance warning.

"This gives the players a year's notice that we're going to be tougher on sportsmanship. Last year it was mentioned that this could become a possibility," Parry said.

He also predicted the penalty would be called "very rarely."

"If it's close to diving into the end zone, most likely it would be ruled that the act ended while in the end zone. We'll be lenient," Parry said. "It's really if it's really bad, for example, if a guy flips the bird at the 10 or high-steps backwards into the end zone or starts a forward roll at the 3-yard line."

ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad and The Associated Press contributed to this report.