If they don't get some cool rules pronto ...

LAS VEGAS — Discussion of college football rule changes may elicit a yawn or shrug of the shoulders during the summer, when the season’s first snap is still nearly two months away.

Most fans won’t pay attention until after a flag is thrown. Boos will cascade down from the stands. Then comes a question: What was the penalty?

Greg Burks, Mountain West coordinator of officials, shared some of the rules changes that are certain to make an impact this season. Here are three of the most notable changes:

Rule change: A sliding ball carrier is now protected in the targeting rules as a defenseless player.

Reason: “We have a lot of running quarterbacks in college football,” Burks said. “To protect them, we’re saying that once they give themselves up and start their slide, they are down now.”

What could cause controversy: When the ball comes loose before the player has touched the ground, but won’t be ruled a fumble because the player has “started” his slide before losing control of the ball.

“He is down at the spot where he starts his slide,” Burks said. “That’s going to take some work for officials to get used to that.”

Rule change: Blocking below the waist is limited to two players from the center inside the tackle box (so tight ends are no longer allowed to block below the waist). In addition, players must be stationary and can’t leave the tackle box in order to tackle below the waist.

Reason: “We’re trying to eliminate those blocks that the defender can’t see coming to protect their legs and make the game safer,” Burks said.

Burks called this a major change.

“Coaches express concerns of size differences,” Burks said. “Big teams against small teams, the small teams have to block below the waist. There’s still opportunity to block below the waist. The difference is that it’s got to be head up.”

Rule change: Broadened authority for instant replay review for targeting.

“They were limited last year in their scope,” Burks said. “This year, they will be able to look at the whole play and make their decision. And in really egregious scenarios, they’ll be able to put targeting on from the (replay) booth.”

Reason: Burks said there were a “significant” number of targeting calls last season where the helmet contact was incidental and the flag should have been picked up.

Since targeting results in a player’s ejection from the game (and the first half of the following game if the call comes in the third or fourth quarter), greater ability to get the call right was needed.

“With this rule change, we are allowing replay to look at intent,” Burks said. “In other words, we’re looking for that lunge, that leap, that forearm, something that shows the player was trying to punish. Or was hitting a defenseless player at the wrong time.

Added Burks: “The game’s under fire for safety. We all know that. So all of these rules are designed to make the game safer. That’s what we all want. We want players to be safe. ... But we want it to be fair as well. When a defender does everything he can do not to commit a foul, we don’t want that foul — and a very serious foul when you’re disqualified. When we’re talking about sending you to the locker room, we want to get it right.”

kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com / on Twitter: @sdutkirKDKenney