NCAA outlaws fake slide after Pickett's controversial run

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Well, that didn't take long. Almost nothing the NCAA does happens quickly, but the governing body wasted no time in updating its rules as it has outlawed the type of fake slide that Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett used in the ACC championship game against Wake Forest.

The game took place Saturday, and just five days later -- after a great deal of hype over the controversial play -- the NCAA made the decision that the fake slide is illegal.

Here's the play, in which Pickett faked out the Wake Forest defense by acting like he would slide, then continuing to run for a touchdown. You can see in the video that two Wake Forest defenders clearly stopped pursuing Pickett once he went into the initial slide motion.

The play created an enormous amount of discussion on social media. And while some people were OK with what Pickett did because he didn't break a rule, many felt the play would indeed cause for the rules to be changed.

Therefore, Pickett's fake was the first time we've seen that sort of play in college football, and it also will be the last time we see it -- legally, at least.

If it happens again going forward, under the new rule, the officials will call the play dead.

This is from the Sports Illustrated story Thursday on the rule change:

"Any time a ball carrier begins, simulates, or fakes a feet-first slide, the ball should be declared dead by the on field officials at that point. The intent of the rule is player safety, and the objective is to give a ball carrier an option to end the play by sliding feet first and to avoid contact," the ruling reads, in part. "To allow the ball carrier to fake a slide would compromise the defense that is being instructed to let up when the ball carrier slides feet first. A fake slide will not be considered reviewable under Rule 12-3-3 – Dead Ball and Loose Ball." 

Pickett didn't deny that he did the fake slide on purpose. From our story after Pitt beat Wake Forest:

"Yeah, it was intentional," Pickett said. "I started slowing down and pulling up getting ready to slide and I just kind of saw their body language, they pulled up, as well. I didn't really know. I've never done that before, so I just kind of kept going after I was initially starting to slide."

Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson called out the play after the game.

"You just train your players, as soon as a quarterback starts sliding to stop, because if you touch him it's going to be a penalty," Clawson said. "He started his slide, and our kids stopped playing."

The play created controversy because, as Clawson said, defenders are taught to give up on the play when they see a quarterback start to slide. By allowing that type of play to be legal, defenders would be put in no-man's land, and it could jeopardize the safety of the quarterback if those defenders keep being aggressive thinking there could be a fake slide.

"What do you tell your players?" Clawson said. "The quarterback is protected and you start a slide, and there's two guys that could have made a play that stopped playing because he started to slide. That is certainly something for the rule book that I think that's something they have to look at and come up with a rule for."

Done.

And in warp speed, to boot.