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Poor Lane Kiffin: The NCAA cracks down on faking injuries

This rule may affect some teams more than others. *cough* Ole Miss *cough*
ByAustin Farmer|
Nov 2, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin whistles at a player in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi won 63-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin whistles at a player in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi won 63-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

It looks like Lane Kiffin has to find another strategy to slow down driving offenses. On Thursday, the NCAA approved a rule change, making it harder to fake injuries for additional timeouts.

NCAA cracks down on faking injuries

CBS College Football reporter Matt Zenitz posted on X (formerly Twitter) a few of the new rules, including the new one regarding injury timeouts.

"Under the new rule, if medical personnel enter the field to evaluate an injured player after the ball is spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, that player's team will be charged a timeout."

The key phrase here is "after the ball is spotted." Faining injuries usually happen after players are given a signal from the sideline, which takes time. Additionally, it permits injuries that occur during the game to go unpunished. It's a happy medium that satisfies the arguments for and against penalizing fake injuries.

In a situation where the offending team doesn't have a timeout to burn, it will be assessed a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty.

According to the NCAA, the rule change came to fruition in part after the "college football community raised concerns about strategies" that involve faining injuries to avoid using a timeout or to hinder the opposition's momentum. The most famous of those accused are Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.

It happened for a few years, but this last season saw their most egregious offense to date. During the Rebels' game against Kentucky in 2024, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart gestures to his running back Matt Jones to get on the ground. Jones then falls and grabs his leg. Thankfully, the endzone camera caught the whole thing.

While it was never 'illegal,' faking injuries to gain an advantage has always been ethically wrong. Sportsmanship is the cornerstone that the game of football is built on. One of the most legislated nonplay-related penalties is taunting, with new rules coming out each season, and it's nowhere near the blight that faking injuries has been. This rule change has been long overdue.

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