As many of you may have heard there have been some football rule changes that were accepted for the coming season and some rule changes that were not accepted. The NCAA tabled the defensive substitution rule, amended the targeting rule, and added a new rule regarding low hits on quarterbacks
The Tabled Defensive Substitution Rule
The Amended Targeting Rule
The New Quarterback Protection Rule
The final rule change has to do with the adoption of a new rule concerning protecting quarterbacks from low hits. Here is what the NCAA said:

The rule specifically covers a scenario in which a quarterback is in a passing posture with one or both feet on the ground. In that situation, no defensive player rushing unabated can hit him forcibly at or below the knee. The defensive player also may not initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the quarterback in the knee area or below.

Exceptions for these types of hits occur when:
  • [*=1]the passer becomes a runner, either inside or outside the tackle box;
    [*=1]the defender grabs or wraps the passer in an attempt to make a conventional tackle;
    [*=1]the defender is not rushing unabated or is blocked or fouled into the passer.
A violation of this rule applies when defenders are rushing unabated to the quarterback, and it will result in a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty.

It certainly sounds reasonable from a safety standpoint. How tight will the rule be enforced? How will this rule impact defenses? For example how will corner and safety blitzes be impacted, especially in this era of bigger quarterbacks and smaller defensive backs? Something tells me this rule is going to bring about unintended consequences, similar to the way the targeting rule was constructed last year.

Logic and Inconsistencies