The 1991 college football season will bring a new challenge to kickers who in the past have enjoyed wider goalposts than their counterparts in the NFL.

The NCAA football rules committee recently voted to stand by last year's controversial decision to narrow college goalposts from 23'4" to 18'6". The ruling will make the width the same as that of professional football and will take effect this fall.

"It's going to definitely make kicking a lot harder," placekicker Craig Fayak said. "I'm sure a couple of those close ones are going to be no good."

The new width will likely result in adjustments in coaching strategies, with teams opting more often to go for it on 4th-and-short in scoring situations.

"I don't think coaches are going to try the long field goals anymore because you have to be almost perfect," Fayak said. "I think they're going to be playing more for field position."

In addition, a twist in the ruling involving the location of hash marks may well make college kicking even more difficult than professional kicking. The hash marks will no longer be lined up with the uprights in college ball.

"In professional football, the hash marks are right on the posts," Fayak said. "The hash marks in college are going to stay the same, so the angle is more difficult. It's definitely going to make kicking in college much tougher than in the NFL."

For Fayak, who will be a sophomore this fall, the decision marks the second major change in as many years. As a freshman, he had to make the difficult transition from kicking field goals off a tee in high school to kicking off the ground in college football.

Fayak said he was inconsistent off the ground at first, but later improved as he built up his confidence.