NFL planning harsher discipline for bad off field behavior and other possible rule changes
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NEW YORK - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could announce new initiatives Tuesday that will allow him to impose harsher and quicker discipline for players who get into trouble off the field.
League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday during a conference call that Goodell could use his first full league meeting, to be held next week in Phoenix, to address the arrests and other off-field episodes that plagued the league in the last year.
They include the arrests of nine members of the Cincinnati Bengals; 10 encounters with the police by Tennessee's Adam "Pacman" Jones; the four-month jail sentence imposed this week on Chicago's Tank Johnson on weapons charges; and other run-ins with the law by NFL players.
The policy would allow Goodell, who has been meeting with players, owners and team officials, to impose harsher discipline earlier than in the past, when the NFL has waited for legal steps to be finished before imposing fines and/or suspensions.
"What's important to him in developing this policy is that it is supported by a wide faction of people in our league, meaning the owners, the players' association, the players and the clubs," Aiello said. "He's been very encouraged by the strong stance that the players have taken in terms of looking for a more effective policy."
Most of the conference call was devoted to recommendations for changes in playing rules made by the competition committee.
The biggest change would be moving the kickoff in overtime from the 30-yard-line, the spot in regulation, to the 35.
Atlanta general manager Rich McKay, the committee's co-chairman, said the committee believed the kickoff spot was the major reason that that 62 percent of teams winning the coin toss won overtime games last season, not necessarily on the first possession, but because of the field position they got. McKay said it stemmed from the change in 1998 that moved the kickoff back to the 30 and added the "K-ball," a kicking ball harder to kick deep.
Until then, winners and losers of the toss had won just about equally.
"This is something we resisted," McKay said. "But there was an advantage gained by the coin toss. We think we can cure those stats and make the coin toss less of a factor."
The rule would have to be approved by three-quarters of the teams, as would a variety of other proposed rules changes.
One would make instant replay, which is due to expire after two more seasons, a permanent part of the league's rules.
"It think it's become an accepted part of the game," McKay said. "The colleges have it now in a different form and it's part of the way we play.
Other proposals:
_Players would be assessed a 5-yard penalty for spiking the ball on the field after a play although spiking will still be allowed in the end zone and out of bounds.
_Revising injury reports. Under this proposal, the "out," "doubtful," "questionable," and "probable" categories will be used only on Friday reports instead of starting Wednesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the reports will say simply what the injury is; if the injured player participated in practice and if he did, to what extent.
_Putting a communication device on a defensive player that will allow him to talk to a coach before the play just as the quarterback now does. If that player is injured, the defense will have to revert to signals with the sideline.
_Adding a period between the championship games and Super Bowl for assistants on Super Bowl teams to interview for head coaching jobs.
Two others ideas came from teams, the kind of proposals that are less likely to be adopted.
One from Tampa Bay would include instant replay on all penalties except offensive holding. Penalties are currently not reviewable.
Another, from San Francisco, would apply the college rule on defensive pass interference except on what are deemed flagrant fouls - assessing a 15-yard penalty rather than giving the offensive team the ball at the spot of the foul. On the flagrant fouls, the ball would be spotted where the penalty occurred, as it is at present.
League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday during a conference call that Goodell could use his first full league meeting, to be held next week in Phoenix, to address the arrests and other off-field episodes that plagued the league in the last year.
They include the arrests of nine members of the Cincinnati Bengals; 10 encounters with the police by Tennessee's Adam "Pacman" Jones; the four-month jail sentence imposed this week on Chicago's Tank Johnson on weapons charges; and other run-ins with the law by NFL players.
The policy would allow Goodell, who has been meeting with players, owners and team officials, to impose harsher discipline earlier than in the past, when the NFL has waited for legal steps to be finished before imposing fines and/or suspensions.
"What's important to him in developing this policy is that it is supported by a wide faction of people in our league, meaning the owners, the players' association, the players and the clubs," Aiello said. "He's been very encouraged by the strong stance that the players have taken in terms of looking for a more effective policy."
Most of the conference call was devoted to recommendations for changes in playing rules made by the competition committee.
The biggest change would be moving the kickoff in overtime from the 30-yard-line, the spot in regulation, to the 35.
Atlanta general manager Rich McKay, the committee's co-chairman, said the committee believed the kickoff spot was the major reason that that 62 percent of teams winning the coin toss won overtime games last season, not necessarily on the first possession, but because of the field position they got. McKay said it stemmed from the change in 1998 that moved the kickoff back to the 30 and added the "K-ball," a kicking ball harder to kick deep.
Until then, winners and losers of the toss had won just about equally.
"This is something we resisted," McKay said. "But there was an advantage gained by the coin toss. We think we can cure those stats and make the coin toss less of a factor."
The rule would have to be approved by three-quarters of the teams, as would a variety of other proposed rules changes.
One would make instant replay, which is due to expire after two more seasons, a permanent part of the league's rules.
"It think it's become an accepted part of the game," McKay said. "The colleges have it now in a different form and it's part of the way we play.
Other proposals:
_Players would be assessed a 5-yard penalty for spiking the ball on the field after a play although spiking will still be allowed in the end zone and out of bounds.
_Revising injury reports. Under this proposal, the "out," "doubtful," "questionable," and "probable" categories will be used only on Friday reports instead of starting Wednesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the reports will say simply what the injury is; if the injured player participated in practice and if he did, to what extent.
_Putting a communication device on a defensive player that will allow him to talk to a coach before the play just as the quarterback now does. If that player is injured, the defense will have to revert to signals with the sideline.
_Adding a period between the championship games and Super Bowl for assistants on Super Bowl teams to interview for head coaching jobs.
Two others ideas came from teams, the kind of proposals that are less likely to be adopted.
One from Tampa Bay would include instant replay on all penalties except offensive holding. Penalties are currently not reviewable.
Another, from San Francisco, would apply the college rule on defensive pass interference except on what are deemed flagrant fouls - assessing a 15-yard penalty rather than giving the offensive team the ball at the spot of the foul. On the flagrant fouls, the ball would be spotted where the penalty occurred, as it is at present.
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Comments
I think Pass interferance should be based on the penalty, an obvious flagrant interferance should be the same but a close call should be 15 yds. I like the injury report it would help with fantasy football
<<< One from Tampa Bay would include instant replay on all penalties except offensive holding. Penalties are currently not reviewable. >>>
Good one Tampa Bay. LOL. And make the games an hour longer. LOL. What a pathetic idea. Man, I'd hate to be a fan of that loser franchise. LOL
<< <i>Ya knew this was coming. Behavior such as this isn't going to be tolerated in today's NFL.
<<< One from Tampa Bay would include instant replay on all penalties except offensive holding. Penalties are currently not reviewable. >>>
Good one Tampa Bay. LOL. And make the games an hour longer. LOL. What a pathetic idea. Man, I'd hate to be a fan of that loser franchise. LOL >>
Instant replay on all penalties except holding is not realistic, I don't see the NFL taking this proposal seriously.
<< <i>Instant replay on all penalties except holding is not realistic, I don't see the NFL taking this proposal seriously. >>
That's because there's a hold on almost every single play. Just a matter if the ref sees it and calls or ignores.
It's football.