Penalties

What is Targeting in college football?

Name: CFBTrack College Football Data
Creator: CFBTrack
License: https://cfbtrack.com/privacy#dataset-license

In college football, Targeting means: A player-safety foul involving taking aim at an opponent with forcible contact beyond a legal tackle, block, or play on the ball. It is used to describe penalties context in college football.

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Quick Answer

In college football, Targeting means: A player-safety foul involving taking aim at an opponent with forcible contact beyond a legal tackle, block, or play on the ball. It is used to describe penalties context in college football.

Definition

A player-safety foul involving taking aim at an opponent with forcible contact beyond a legal tackle, block, or play on the ball.

Example

A defender who launches into a defenseless receiver with forcible head or neck-area contact can be reviewed for targeting.

How to Interpret It

Targeting matters because it can change field position, remove a player through disqualification, and affect the next half depending on timing.

How CFB Track Uses It

CFBTrack uses targeting context in rules and game-flow explanations when penalties affect drives, player availability, and postgame interpretation.

Personal FoulA major penalty for illegal physical contact or unsafe conduct.Instant ReplayA review system used to check certain officiating decisions with video.Blindside BlockA block delivered from outside an opponent's field of vision, often subject to safety restrictions.Block in the BackA penalty for illegally blocking an opponent from behind.Chop BlockAn illegal low block combined with another block against the same defender.ClippingAn illegal block from behind at or below the waist.

College football rules