Every year the NCAA rules committee tweaks the book and heading into the 2016 season is no exception. Most of the changes will not be noticeable during most games, but there are certainly some exceptions to that.

With the Ducks set to kick off their 2016 fall camp next Monday, Duck Sports Authority takes a look at how the NCAA has evolved the game for this year, focusing on the changes that fans have the most chance of seeing on game day.

Defenseless slider

As always one of the biggest components to the rule changes involve protecting the players. To this end the rules about sliding players have been expanded. In 2016 ball carriers that slide feet first will be ‘Defenseless’ and defensive players who hit them will be subject to the targeting rules. This change is brings the rule more in line with how the NFL handles it.

With the new rule, any defender who makes “forcible contact” with any ball carrier who has “given himself up” by initiating a slide will not only incur a 15-yard penalty, they will be disqualified for the rest of the game.

In addition to all this the phrase was added to this rule “When in question, it is a foul."

The complication to enforcement of this rule will be where exactly to spot the ball. Referees will be trying to determine where the ball was when the slide began, something which many refs will see differently in real time.

Bye Bye Coach

In the past, the rare player who receives two unsportsmanlike penalties in a game is ejected. Now the NCAA has extended that to those hotheaded coaches out there. Will this change the behavior of some head coaches? Well, it certainly will for the rest of a game after he gets his first.

How this rule actually plays out is hard to guess. How often will coaches get tossed? Not very one would imagine. Not only would referees be reluctant to flag a coach for a second time, a coach would be likely to have simmered down after the first.

But hopefully the result will be less red-faced coaches screaming at referees, one of the least attractive elements of any football game.

No tripping!

Strangely, the NCAA rules committee in years past has been OK with some occasional tripping of the ball carrier. In fact, the rulebook actually read “tripping a runner is not a foul.” For 2016 that phrase has disappeared. That should save some shins.

Targeted review

In the Pac-12, SEC and ACC, a new separate replay review system will be tested. Replays will be viewed by a group of five officials at a ‘separate, secure location’, and they will make the call. In other conferences the on-field officials will be able to “collaborate” with the replay officials for the first time. The NCAA will assess both systems after the season.

Big boys stay put

One of the items that coaches frequently notice but referees do not is ineligible men downfield. While fans do see the flag thrown on occasion, the rule is lightly enforced more often than not. For 2016 that could change. Although the NCAA has not changed the rule about ineligible players being 3-yards downfield on pass plays, officials are now being instructed to “stringently enforce” the existing rule.

Don’t get low

Blocking below the waist outside the tackle box has now been severely restricted. The actual wording of the rule is:

“Backs at the snap positioned completely outside the normal tackle position in either direction, or in motion at the snap, prohibited from blocking below the waist.”

What that means is that while OL and backs are exempt from the rule between the tackles while the ball is still there, all other players are prohibited from low blocks. And once the ball leaves the box, nobody is allowed to block low.

Clarification for low hits on passer

For the 2015 season the NCAA prohibited hitting a player in a “passing posture” at or below the knees. For its first year, exceptions were made for players blocked into the “passer” and for players attempting a “conventional tackle”. For 2016 the first exception will stay in place, but the latter will be further limited by the phrase “without making forcible contact with the head or shoulder". So for defensive players hitting a QB or punter the only option for a low tackle is an arm tackle.

Me likey

This is not a field rule but on August 1st another NCAA rule will go into effect involving social media. The NCAA has clarified what responses university staff can and can’t have on social media. Now they can like, retweet, favorite or otherwise endorse a recruit's post on any public social media platform. But they cannot “comment” on it. Tagging a recruit is considered a comment.

So for University staffers the rule of thumb will be “click but don’t comment”.

This new rule is not likely the last one covering social media.