It did not take long for the new punt rule to wreak havoc on college football. The jersey number requirements are supposed to make it easier for the return team to identify eligible receivers on fakes.
Everybody is confused!
Most of college football was against the sudden rule change but the NCAA decided to move forward anyway. We are already seeing the ramifications play out in real time.
Rutgers could not figure out its special teams formation because of their jersey numbers.
The Scarlet Knights lost their first game of the new season in embarrassing fashion. They got mollywhopped by the UMass Minutemen, who had not defeated an FBS program since 2023.
Rutgers committed a lot of mistakes— two of which on special teams. It was called for a delay of game on two separate fourth downs during the first half while looking to punt.
Game one, week one and the new punt rule causing issues
— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) September 3, 2026
cc: @LeVarWoods
https://t.co/RF917wE229 pic.twitter.com/Zo0Q9WBtLl
Part of the confusion stemmed from attempted gamesmanship. The Scarlet Knights were trying to move people around before the ball was snapped. They did not go out of a traditional punt formation. They couldn’t get in position before the clock hit zero.
Most of the confusion stemmed from the new punt rule. Rutgers had multiple players on the field without a last name on the back of their jerseys. Those players were forced to swap out their normal game jerseys for that specific play because of the new rule. It is not something for which they are used to and it caused confusion before the snap, which led to a delay of game penalty, twice.
What is the new punt rule for college football?
In its most simple form, the new punt rule for college football targets punt formations that use “jersey number exceptions.” That primarily applies players who wear numbers outside of the traditional offensive lineman range of 50-79. It is written as follows:
“On punts where jersey number exceptions (players who do not wear numbers 50-79) are used, the snapper and two adjacent linemen on either side who are lined up in (or touching) the tackle box are ineligible receivers by position and become exceptions to the numbering rule when the snapper takes his position. This clarifies which players are eligible receivers in the formation.”
The new punt rule locks the long snapper and the two players immediately to his right and left into an ineligible position whenever a non-lineman number is involved with the formation. Teams can either line up in a two-by-two formation, with a guard and tackle wearing ineligible numbers on each side of the center, or they have to put five ineligible numbers on the punt unit.
Here is the full breakdown from the NCAA:
For example, this fake punt by Notre Dame would no longer be allowed under the new rule:
Hogs force a 3 and Out
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 27, 2025
ND pulls off a fake punt hahahah pic.twitter.com/zrcXVVMEib
Although the new punt rule was enacted by the NCAA on March 19, a large number of special teams coaches only found out about the proposed change once it passed. Michigan State coach LeVar Woods was furious with the rule change for multiple reasons. He was not alone. Most of the Big Ten was against the decision, as well as other Power Four conference programs.
And yet, it still passed.
We are going to see a lot more confusion on special teams, like Rutgers in its first game. We are also going to see an increase of illegal formation penalties. Meanwhile, we are going to see a decline in awesome and creative fake punts. Lame!