Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Aggie
The NCAA has gone back and forth on this. I don't know about what the original rule was, but at some point, holding WAS a previous spot enforcement like it is now, then in the early '90s, I believe, it went to a spot foul enforcement if behind the NZ by Team A. At some point they changed it back. I think the thought was that 10 yards from the spot of a foul that is almost always behind the neutral zone is a bit too much -- Team A might hold 6, 8, even 10 yards behind. Then you have plays like 3rd and 30!
|
The original rule was 3-and-1 enforcement, no exception. And if you think they thought 10 yds. from the spot was a bit too much, consider that for many yrs. it was 15 yds. (both ways). NFL led in the 1970s with the reduction of the offensive penalty to 10 yds. (they already had 5 yds. from the previous spot for the defense) after previously changing to previous spot when the foul occurred behind there on a pass play. It had been 10 yds. a long way back, but NCAA thought they were really accomplishing something in simplif'n when they eliminated 10 yd. penalties so that all distance penalties became 5 or 15.