that would be a penalty this season. what a stupid 17ing rule. i'd tell my guys to try to rip helmets off every single play, especially in the last few minutes. can you imagine a starting QB losing his helmet on a big hit with 5 seconds left after completing a pass to a guy that gets out of bounds. only 1 play left in the game, no timeouts. now we get to see the final play of the game with the backup QB in. that's 17ing ridiculous.
http://keepingitheel.com/...ssence-bad-in-execution/
Detached helmets
The NCAA also adapted a new rule that forces players to basically stop playing when their helmet comes off. Not only do players have to stop playing, they also have to sit out the next play similar to players who are injured during a game.
In Summary:
- If a player’s helmet comes off, he is forced to sit out the next down. Only exception being if the helmet comes off due to penalty (face masks, illegal hands to the face, etc.).
- If a ball carrier’s helmet comes off, the play is blown dead and the play is over.
- If someone other than a ball carrier loses his helmet, he must stop playing or he faces a 15-yard penalty for “prolonged participation.” Whatever that is.
- With less than a minute remaining in either half, if a play is called dead due to a ball carrier’s helmet coming off, there is also a 10-second runoff. If a team has a timeout, they can elect to use the timeout to avoid the loss of 10 crucial seconds.