In an effort to curtail the rapid spread of fake and exaggerated injuries, the NCAA Rules Committee plans to form a solution ahead of the 2025 season, Dennis Dodd reports. Feigning injuries is a tactic used by coaches that threatens the integrity of the sport, yet is incredibly subjective. Dodd reported Tuesday there are no plans to include a medical professional within the rules committee’s discussion this week..
Steve Shaw, the NCAA secretary-rules editor, told CBS Sports the sport has “reached an inflection point” and something has to be done to fix the ongoing issues.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent a memo to SEC athletic directors and coaches last season demanding teams “play football and stop the feigned injury nonsense” after South Carolina coach Shane Beamer complained about Ole Miss participating in the charade following the Gamecocks’ loss to the Rebels.
Via Inside The Rebels, the memo — obtained by CBS Sports — revealed punishments for those that get caught faking injuries. Head coaches would receive a public reprimand and a $50,000 fine for the first offense. A second offense leads to another reprimand and a $100,000 fine. A third offense will result in the coach being suspended for his team’s next game. Any staff member found to be involved in the faking of injuries (such as signals) will face similar penalties. Players are also subject to a reprimand.
“I’m glad,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said after being asked about the SEC’s crackdown. “That sounds weird, coming from me. We’re a tempo offense. I’ve been saying this for years. Faking injuries hurts us more than anybody (along with Tennessee) in America. It happens to us more than anybody. Happened last week. Over and over again. It may surprise you, but I was really happy with that. We even released a statement about it.”
The American Football Coaches Association proposed the “injured” player misses the rest of his team’s series if there’s a stoppage of play requiring medical attention.
Faked or exaggerated injuries became a growing trend in college football around the 2021 season, especially on defense used to combat tempo-driven offenses. Ahead of the 2022 campaign, the NCAA had previously announced it would not add in-game penalties for players accused of faking injuries, but other post-game penalties could be assessed. Supposed fake injuries were initially a topic of conversation following Ole Miss’ road win at Tennessee in 2021, and that was not the last time either school was involved in a game that drew suspicions on the front.
The topic resurfaced following Ole Miss’ Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State a few months later that season and then again during Tennessee’s Music City Bowl loss to Purdue to close out the 2021 season.
According to the NCAA, “in an attempt to crack down on teams awarded an injury timeout after a player fakes an injury, schools and conferences will be able to report questionable scenarios to the national coordinator of officials. The coordinator will provide feedback. Any penalties levied would be up to the conference office or school involved.”
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Three years later, now that faking injuries has often taken center stage between teams with tempo-based offenses, the NCAA is working to figure out a plan on how to stop the nonsense.
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