New rules could bring NFL look to colleges

INDIANAPOLIS - College football could be taking a few pages right out of the NFL's rule book.

On Thursday, an NCAA committee proposed adopting a 10-second runoff for clock-stopping penalties in the final minute of each half, changing the intentional grounding rule and experimenting with placing umpires behind the running backs.

A vote on the proposals is expected April 14.

It should sound familiar. Last year, the NFL moved umpires from their traditional position in the middle of the defense to the offensive backfield for safety reasons. The NCAA is now asking schools to experiment with moving the umpire during spring practice and spring games to assess whether it gives them better angles to make calls.

"The officiating community wants the guidance of the rules committee on what their thinking is on this," college football's officiating coordinator, Rogers Redding, said in a statement. "We'll see if this is something that should be done at some point."

Safety is part of the reason for other changes, though.

Players lined up within seven yards of the center on scrimmage plays are still permitted to block below the waist anywhere on the field, but the committee is recommending tighter restrictions on other players.

Receivers or running backs lined up outside the tackle box will be allowed to block below the waist only if they are blocking straight ahead or toward the nearest sideline. If they go inside and block toward the play, it would be a

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