It was the first drive of the 2021 ACC Championship Game, when University of Pittsburgh Panthers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett was moments away from setting social media on fire.
On 3rd and 5, Pickett couldn’t find an open receiver so he took off and ran for the first down and then some.
Some turned into six points when Pickett faked a slide forcing all of the defenders to pull up as to not take a penalty for hitting a defenseless player.
While Twitter was blowing up, critics were quick to point out that a fake slide shouldn’t be allowed.
It turns out, NCAA football rule makers would agree.
In a new set of rule interpretations from the NCAA, a fake slide is now banned by the Rules Committee.
The new rule now reads “Any time a ball carrier begins, simulates, or fakes a feet-first slide, the ball should be declared dead by on field officials at that point.”
Rule 4-1-3 will forever be known as the “Kenny Pickett Rule.”