Bret Bielema referee.jpg

The NCAA's College Football Rules Committee has voted to "stringently enforce" the 3-yard limit on illegal man downfield in 2016. (AP file photo)

The NCAA's College Football Rules Committee has voted instruct officials to "stringently enforce" the 3-yard limit on illegal man downfield penalties beginning in 2016.

According to an NCAA press release, the illegal man downfield rule was "discussed at length" during the College Football Rules Committee's 4-day meeting this week. The rule came under increased scrutiny in 2015 for its failure to be called in a number of high-profile instances, including the Alabama-Ole Miss game.

Speaking with reporters on an NCAA conference call Thursday, Rules Committee secretary Rogers Redding said additional officials on the field will be on the lookout for illegal men downfield. The change in officiating mechanics -- with the head lineman and line judge joining the umpire in being on the lookout for illegal man downfield -- was actually put into motion midway through last season, he said.

"We've said it -- this is going to be a hard and fast 3-yard rule," said Redding, also the NCAA's coordinator of football officials. "In other words, we're not going to allow some (leeway), where it's 3-and-a-half or four yards, we'll give them that. We're going to be diligent about enforcing the rule as it's written."

However, the instant replay official will not be utilized to either call or overturn an illegal man downfield penalty.

"We talked about that a little bit, but ... the slippery slope of having the official in the booth create a foul is something we'd like to stay away from if we can," Redding said. "The thought process of the committee was 'let's do this in baby steps. Let's adjust the officiating mechanics.' And that worked better than folks realized in the second half of the season last year. ... If we still continue to have significant problems with it, then we'll look at that next year."

During last year's Rules Committee meeting, an adoption of the NFL-style 1-yard cushion was proposed, only to be later voted down by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. Redding said the modification was discussed again at length this year, but not enacted in the end.

"That was part of the discussion -- whether or not to pass the rule that was proposed last year," Redding said. "I would remind you that many years ago, before the 3-yard rule was put in, there was no flexibility at all. The rule just said the lineman could be downfield under no circumstances. The 1-yard limit would be sort of a compromise.

"We did talk about it, but decided in the end, that because of the fact that we'd made this mechanics adjustment in the second half of last year, that worked pretty well. So we decided not to mess with the rule, but to continue to enhance those mechanics, and evaluate that to see how well it works."

Also altered was the targeting rule, with the instant replay official given broader authority. Replay officials will now be able to "view all aspects of targeting fouls," including the ability to stop the game and create a targeting foul where none was called on the field.

Other rule changes and adjustments approved by the NCAA College Football Rules Committee:

* The use of tablets or other technological devices for coaching (i.e., non-medical) purposes were approved for use in the press box and in the locker room during games, but not on the field or sideline.

* Players are now prohibited from blocking below the waist outside the tackle box, toward the initial position of the ball (i.e., no blind side blocks below the waist).

* A player who gives himself up by sliding feet first is now considered "defenseless," and hitting such a player will now result in a penalty.

* Deliberately tripping a ballcarrier is now a penalty.

All rules changes must be approved by the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel on March 8 before being formally implemented for 2016.

All rules changes must be approved by the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel on March 8 before being formally implemented for 2016.