SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding highlighted one major rule change today. If a rugby-style punter rolls outside of the tackle box to kick the ball, there will be no roughing the kicker or running the kicker penalty assessed to the defense if he gets hit.

The problem was that the kicking team gained too much of an advantage by putting the punter in motion and running toward the line of scrimmage.

"From a defensive standpoint, it was difficult to tell, is this guy going to be a runner? Are we at risk if we run into him?" Redding said.

Redding said the punter is still protected from "flagrant slugging" and unnecessary roughness even if he's out of the tackle box, however.

There were few other changes. The rules committee didn't even look at the clock situation, which it seems to have flip-flopped on the last few years. Redding also said officials will interpret a rule differently. Instead of looking for seven men on the line of scrimmage, they will look for more than four players in the backfield. It's essentially the same rule, but just a different way of monitoring it.