BREAKING: NCAA Approves Rule Change on Injury Timeouts for 2025.
Per Brett McMurphy, the NCAA has officially approved a significant rule change regarding injury timeouts starting in the 2025 season. Under the new rule, if medical personnel enter the field to tend to an injured player after the ball has been spotted by the officiating crew for the next play, the injured player’s team will be charged a timeout. If the team is out of timeouts, they will instead receive a five-yard delay-of-game penalty.
This change comes in response to growing concerns that some programs were exploiting injury stoppages to slow down opposing offenses, particularly in high-tempo situations. During the 2024 season, multiple teams were accused of strategically using injury delays to disrupt the rhythm of fast-paced offenses—most notably when Ole Miss and Illinois played South Carolina. Coaches Lane Kiffin and Bret Bielema were both scrutinized for allegedly taking advantage of the previous injury timeout rules in their respective games against the Gamecocks.
The new rule aims to crack down on these tactics by putting a tangible cost on in-play injury stoppages, incentivizing teams to use genuine medical timeouts wisely. It also empowers officials to better control the pace of the game without penalizing legitimate player injuries that occur before the ball is set.
The rule change has already sparked a range of reactions from coaches and analysts. Some praise it as a necessary step to preserve the integrity of the game, while others worry it may deter players from seeking immediate medical help for fear of penalizing their team.
Either way, this move signals the NCAA’s growing commitment to addressing gamesmanship tactics and ensuring that player safety and fair play remain top priorities.
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