The NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee proposed an optional experimental video review coaches challenge rule in conference games only for the 2025-26 academic year.
All rule recommendations must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss soccer rules proposals April 16.
Under the proposed rule, coaches would have one video review challenge. If the challenge is successful, the coach would retain the right to challenge one more time for the rest of the match.
If the challenge is unsuccessful, the coach would lose the right to challenge for the rest of the match.
In overtime, if a coach has a challenge remaining, the coach could initiate a video review. Officials also could initiate video reviews in overtime to make sure a call is right, provided the affected team does not have a challenge remaining.
Coaches could initiate video review challenges in the following scenarios:
- Fighting/violent behavior.
- Violations on penalty kicks.
- Straight red cards (not second yellows).
- Denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity/stopping a promising attack.
- Offside.
- Potential mistaken identity.
- Determining the location of a foul that was called on the field against the defending team near or in its penalty area.
Referees could initiate video reviews to determine whether the entire ball passed over the goal line for a goal, as well as to decide timing issues.
Other rules proposals
The committee recommended adopting two rules that were put in place by the International Football Association Board in July.
One would eliminate a red card being issued for nondeliberate handling of the ball in the penalty area that denies a goal or goal-scoring opportunity. Inside the penalty area, red cards should be reserved for deliberate, cynical handling that denies a goal or goal-scoring opportunity.
The other proposal would amend encroachment by teammates of the kicker or goalkeeper during a penalty kick.
Referees should only penalize the encroachment if the player at fault prevents an opponent from playing the ball, challenges an opponent for the ball and then scores or prevents a goal, attempts to score or prevent a goal, or creates or stops a goal-scoring opportunity.
