TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a new era for Alabama football, and that will include a new scoring system for the A-Day game.
First-year head coach Kalen DeBoer is switching up the format for the annual spring scrimmage.
During Nick Saban’s 17-year tenure, the Crimson Tide paired up its first-team offense and second-team defense on one team and its first-team defense and second-team offense on the other. This year, the White team will be comprised of the entire defense while the Crimson team will include the entire defense.
Because the Crimson Tide will never have the ball, a new scoring system has been implemented to give the defense a chance to score points. Here’s a look at how the score will be totaled.
Defensive points
7 points — takeaway
3 points — three-and-out
2 points — missed field goal
2 points — forced punt
The defense will also be rewarded for fourth-down stops with different point totals corresponding to where it is on the field.
Fourth-down stops that occur from the offense’s side of the field will result in 6 points. A stop that occurs from midfield to the defense’s 26-yard line will be worth 5 points. A stop that occurs from the defense’s 25 to the goal line will be worth 4 points.
The offense will be awarded its usual points of 6 for a touchdown, 3 for a field goal and 1 for an extra point.
One carry-over from the previous stakes of the scrimmage which will see the winner receive a meal of steak while the loser is served beans and hotdogs.
Alabama's A-Day game is set to kick off at 3 p.m. CT Saturday inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The scrimmage will be aired on ESPN.