MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia concluded spring practice with its annual Gold-Blue Game, a glorified scrimmage where the Mountaineer roster is broken into two teams and competes in a setting far different from that of a normal football game.
Yet in this year’s version, more of what occurred Saturday will carry over to the fall as a result of several notable college football rule changes announced approved earlier this month by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
In games between FBS teams, each squad now has the option of coach-to-player communication through the helmet of one player on the field, with that distinction designated by a green dot on the midline of the player’s helmet.
The Mountaineers tinkered with helmet communication last December during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina, as did the Tar Heels after both teams agreed to it before the game.
It’s something West Virginia also has experience with previously in spring football, though as opposed to past years, the Mountaineers are now able to utilize it in no fewer than 11 games starting August 31 against Penn State.
“We’ve been messing with it all spring and [Saturday], we were really vanilla with it,” said WVU head coach Neal Brown, an advocate for the use of helmet communication in the past. “We used it in the bowl game and the last two springs, so it’s not necessarily new to us. We’re using a different company now. It’s going to help the game and help defenses as well. People are underestimating that, but it’s really going to help defenses.”
In the Gold-Blue Game, West Virginia’s mike linebackers were responsible for defensive communication, though Brown says it’s “to be determined” if that remains the case when the regular season rolls around.
“It takes some of the sloppiness off the sideline,” Brown said. “You’re going to still see that for teams that want to play fast, but it gives you some options on how you can communicate.”
Coach-to-player communication is permitted until whichever comes first — 15 seconds remain on the play clock or the ball is snapped.
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The Gold-Blue Game also implemented another recent college football rule change — a 2-minute warning in each half.
The rule mirrors a time system long utilized in the National Football League, and it comes one year after the NCAA approved a running clock on first downs outside of the last 2 minutes in the second and fourth quarters.
The clock now automatically stops either exactly at the 2-minute mark of each half or directly after the first play inside the 2-minute warning concludes.
“I’m in favor of more rules we have that mirror the NFL,” Brown said. “It’s better for our game overall. If a casual fan turns a game on Saturday or Sunday, it should look very similar from a rules standpoint. There’s way too many differences right now, so it’s somewhat confusing for a novice fan.
“There’s going to be a little bit of strategy. It’s great for the officials, because everything in the rules changes under 2 minutes, so it’s a good reminder for them and clock operators. There’s going to be some strategy involved from a coaching perspective, just like the NFL, where do you take a timeout before or after the 2-minute warning?”
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Nearly every West Virginia player that participated in the Gold-Blue Game wore a Guardian Cap overtop his helmet.
Guardian Caps are designed to enhance protection against head injuries, and while they’re not yet permitted in college football games, last week, the NFL adjusted its rules to allow the option for them to be used in games.
Previously, players at certain positions in the NFL were required to wear Guardian Caps during training camp in 2022 and 2023, and the league announced this offseason Guardian Caps were mandated in training camp for all non-quarterbacks and specialists.
“It goes back to the NFL where they’re going to allow them to be worn in games. I would assume that’s probably where we’re headed,” Brown said. “It’s not going to be necessarily in the fall, but would not be shocked if that’s where we’re heading. We wore them every day in the spring and we just kept them on today.”