Official NCAA ruling on the "illegal" fake field goal

The NCAA rules committee passed down a ruling to the ACC, Clemson University, and the SEC (reiterated from a December 2008 ruling), that the so-called "illegal" fake field goal play ran by GT last Thursday was a legal Division I play.

The fake field goal play is in fact the same play used in the Clemson v. SC game in 2008.

Coach Dabo Swinney and numerous Clemson University coaches and athletic department staff had voiced strong opinions about the validity of the play as well as several "questionable" calls.


Responding to a complaint about a holding penalty called against Clemson, an unidentified NCAA official who was in the replay booth explained that an offensive player "made the action of hooking and throwing" a GT player, which is considered a holding violation.