Currently, NCAA college rules stipulate that players substituted in the first half cannot reenter until the second half, while a player subbed in the second half may reenter once in the second half.
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee has proposed that beginning in the 2024 season for men’s Division 1:
- No reentry in either half.
- Teams will have six moments to make substitutions in a game, and substitutions can occur during any stoppage of play.
(Current rules for second-half reentry and subbing only on goal kicks, their own team’s throw-in, their own team’s corner kick, after a goal has been scored or when a player has received a caution, would remain the same for all levels except Division I men.
The committee recommended that in all three levels of men’s and women’s soccer the clock would stop on all substitutions in the last 15 minutes of the second half and in overtime periods.)
The rules proposals must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which meets April 18.
Among the motivation for the subbing rule change is to discourage using substitutions as a tactic to slow the game.
“This aligns with the sport that our incoming student-athletes are used to,” said Rules Committee chair Tim Cupello, who is the men’s soccer coach at UC Riverside. “It also aligns with the sport they would be playing if they are fortunate to continue playing after college into a professional career. The game model and coaching style will reflect what they had during their youth development.”
Also to be considered by the Oversight Panel is a recommendation to expand video review, if available, to referees initiating reviews on:
- Potential penalty kick situations.
- Potential straight red card situations.
- Any potential offside violations.
- A foul denying an obvious scoring opportunity.
“Whatever we can do to make the calls correct is a benefit,” Cupello said. “If we can provide an extra tool to the referees to help get decisions correct, it is a positive. Student-athletes will feel like their performance is rewarded correctly. That is the ultimate goal.”
The Rules Committee has also proposed:
- The sudden-victory format— aka: golden goal, sudden death — be used in postseason play.
- Teams would have to provide copies of their rosters, with starters indicated, to the scorer’s table and the opposing coach 15 minutes before kickoff. A clean copy of both rosters would have to be provided to the referee.
So NCAA now pretends to care about soccer? Hilarious. How about FIFA LOTG like every single player used before they ever set foot in college? Additionally, VAR requires a buttload of cameras which will never be available at the college level. Do your homework Tim Cupello.
R2Dad:
1) VAR is already used in NCAA where available.
2) Be it 1 or multiple cameras the guidelines are the same for VAR to change a call.
3) These rule proposals are from the coach’s committees – not the NCAA. The substitution proposal is only able to happen now as finally the playing rules do not need to be the same for all Divisions. Previously D-3 schools overwhelming did not want limitations. If this goes though , then D-1will be headed well in the right direction for a more fluid game.
4) Does the NCAA care – likely not so much, but hopefully they will approve.
oh yeh- doing homework is important. Thank you Tim C. and your committee for doing yours.
There are the LOTG and there are Not LOTG. Why would coaches choose to tweak NCAA rules when they need to be scrapped? Even MLS has standard LOTG after the country witnessed that NASL nonsense of the 70’s. What kind of coach would advocate for the track meet over a soccer match? Play the same sport! If D3 coaches want to tweak LOTG add 5 subs instead of 3, but play the game as it is meant to be played! This should not be the least bit controversial, but I guess NCAA and their coaches have been living in an echo chamber for decades.
Also, the proof is in the pudding. If what NCAA was doing was so productive, colleges would be pumping out dozens and dozens of top players every year, giving those late-bloomers a chance to shine. I’m not seeing it.
Regarding the NCAA substitution rules: No one has to use all those subs, but essentially everyone does.
The worse thing about the substitution rules is that they encourage teams to rely on sprinting up and down the field endlessly. It is very poor experience and a smart skilled team can easily deal with the endless sprinting–because it isn’t endless. The platoon system creates players with 22 minute fitness so the teams are vulnerable to tactics that exhaust them and prevent them from exploiting their speed. Positional play is an example.
Postseason Overtime Golden Goal has disappointedly resurrected itself. Hopefully, common sense will prevail during the NCAA “Comment” period and get this unfair proposal reversed and out for good. Why? OT is 2×10 minutes. In those 20 minutes, both teams should have an equal chance to play both directions. Wind and field conditions can be very advantageous and both teams should be given equal opportunity to take advantage. Need an example: Go to YouTube and put in, “Craziest Wind Interference in Sports.” In the midwest, this is more the norm than the exception. The motivation to end the game less than 20 minutes shorter or for a more exciting ending to a postseason elimination game does not justify the unfairness presented.
R2, calm down, why does everyone have to trust in FIFA and it’s LOTG? A lot of sport are ruined, (cycling?) but governing bodies operating out of Switzerland. Why should NCAA let FIFA dictate the game. I watch a lot of college soccer the past 4 years – d1, 2, 3, their biggest issues are not the LOTG – far from it.
Golden goal – if you watched college soccer before last year, and last year, you noticed the difference, it was more, dare I say, boring? Perfect example of why NOT let FIFA LOTG dictate. These boys and girls have school tomorrow! They don’t need to be playing more than 90 minutes to decide a frigin’ match. I for one prefer the elation that the golden goal brings. I am ok without having it in regular season – exactly because – if you are tied after 90 – go home – do your homework, study. During playoff – it’s ok. Their season is dense – they play two games a week for 2.5 months – and – they have to travel long distance in many cases. It’s OK – the context is singular. No FIFA schedule like this.
On the substitutions – this will be interesting – again – there is no schedule in FIFA like college soccer. I know this very well. My son plays club and HS. He is a dual national and has a dietician from his home country in South America Uruguay – during HS season – she struggles to build his program – because no youth or pro in Uruguay has an equivalent workload. She has pro players all over the world and including MLS – ones you read about in SA. She says it’s crazy what we do here. College soccer is same schedule as HS here – 2 games a week for 2.5 months. All I can say is trying to squeeze this singular context into FIFA LOTG – especially with substitutions – is recipe for burnout and injury. The trainer will be breaking out needles. Madness and foolishness all rolled into one. A few will get it – and rotate the squad – but this required depth – or you give points. Careful what you wish for. Good day.
My experience was that colleges used a platoon system with 20 field players playing 22.5 minute shifts. So teams had and used depth. With two matches a week, you get the same place player 10 field players 90 minutes in alternate weeks.
The only differences are that players have to be match fit instead of 22.5 minutes fit, and the LOTG encourage greater use of skills and smart tactics rather than sprinting up and down the field.
Also LOTG sub rules may be modified for high school to allow greater numbers and the return of substitutes.
Something going on with automated grammar or spell check not under my control. Made changes again while I was typing this. ” With two matches a week, you get the same place playing 10 field players 90 minutes in alternate matches.”
And again: “get to the same place” changed to “get the same place”.