Angry at an officiating call? As a college football coach, you better not step onto the field of play.
Beginning this season on a national level, game referees will flag coaches 15 yards for an unsportsmanlike penalty if they step past the white out-of-bounds line to argue a particular on-field ruling.
SEC director of officials Steve Shaw explained the rule change during a presentation Thursday at the conference’s spring meetings.
Officials want to keep coaches from running onto the field and creating a scene during games. Shaw said that as long as coaches stay in the white out-of-bounds area, they will be given the same leeway to argue a call the way they have in the past.