NCAA announces changes to college soccer overtime rules

Major changes to the overtime rules in men’s and women’s college soccer have been announced following a meeting by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

The NCAA shared the news via its official website after the panel’s virtual meeting on Wednesday. Changes are set to go into effect during the 2022 season, and will be implemented for both the regular season and postseason.

For the regular season, overtime has been eliminated, meaning if a game is tied after the regulation 90 minutes, it will end in a tie. Previously, teams played two 10-minute overtime periods in a sudden-victory (golden goal) format, and if neither team scored, the game ended in a tie.

In conference tournaments and NCAA postseason games, the sudden-victory component has been eliminated, and teams will play two 10-minute overtime periods instead. Also, when a substitution is made by the winning team in the last five minutes of the second overtime, the game clock will stop.

If the game remains tied, a penalty-kick shootout will be held to determine the winner.

Video review

The panel approved expanding video review to include whether a foul occurred inside or outside the penalty area.

Protests

Panel members approved expanding the protest rule to include a review of violent behavior II and fighting red cards.

• The protest, including video of the incident, must be filed within 48 hours of the completion of the game (the same as other protests) and be submitted by the conference office or coordinator of officials.
• The scope would be limited to changing a violent behavior II or fighting red card (two-game suspension) to a violent behavior I red card (one-game suspension).
• A committee consisting of the NCAA men’s and women’s soccer secretary-rules editor, NCAA national coordinator of soccer officials and one NCAA soccer regional advisor who is not affiliated with the team, conference or region will consider the protest and render a decision.

Reentry

The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee rescinded a change to the soccer reentry rules. Committee members voted in February to move forward a change where players would not be allowed to reenter a game after being substituted for in the second half.

However, after hearing feedback from the membership during the comment period on the proposed rules change, the committee agreed it is best to have more dialogue on this subject.