SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey addressed league athletic directors and head football coaches in a memo on Friday, emphasizing the consequences for players who continue to pretend to be injured during games.
He made it abundantly clear: “Cease all actions related to faking injuries for time-outs,” Sankey stated in the memo, which was shared with ESPN.
He concluded with a straightforward message:Â “Play football and stop the feigned injury nonsense.”
In recent years, there has been a growing concern among coaches who accuse rival teams of faking injuries to disrupt the pace of high-octane offenses that typically do not huddle. This season, broadcasters have highlighted several blatant instances where players dramatically went down near the sidelines, claiming injury just as the opposing team was ready to snap the ball.
SEC Implements Strict Measures Against Fake Injuries
In a decisive move, the SEC has mandated that any play suspected of involving a fake injury must be submitted for review. Steve Shaw, the national coordinator of football officiating, will be responsible for determining what qualifies as a fake injury. According to Commissioner Greg Sankey’s memo, the criteria will include whether a feigned injury likely occurred, if a player attempted to fake an injury, or any other relevant assessment from Shaw regarding the likelihood of a fake injury happening.
Sankey emphasized that creating injury timeouts, whether on offense or defense, is “not acceptable and is disrespectful to the game of football.”
Consequences for Coaches and Staff
The memo outlines a tiered punishment system for coaches involved in faking injuries. For a first offense, a head coach will face a public reprimand and a $50,000 fine. A second offense results in another reprimand and a $100,000 fine, while a third offense leads to a suspension for the coach’s next game. Additionally, any staff member found to be encouraging or directing a player to feign an injury will face similar penalties, including financial fines and potential suspensions. Players cited for faking injuries may also receive a public reprimand.
Addressing Concerns
Sankey expressed his worries about the increasing allegations of fake injuries during a recent press conference at the Oklahoma-Texas game. He stated, “If somebody’s injured, we need to take that seriously. But creating the questions — and I mean this all across the country — needs to stop.” This highlights the SEC’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the game while ensuring that genuine injuries are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
