If You Could Change One NFL Rule ... What Would It Be?

JackWESQ

If you could change one NFL rule, what would it be? I don't know why, but I've been thinking about this question for the past several weeks. Well actually, I think I do know why ... the Pats are scoring all these points and going for it on 4th down.

I've always been an all or nothing type of guy, so I would eliminate the FG, e.g. force teams to go for the TD (or punt); or

I would eliminate the punt altogether, force teams to always go for it on 4th down. This would dramatically change the game, scoring and strategy wise, but hey, it would be infinitely more entertaining. I think I would go for this.

/s/ JackWESQ

Keene

If it's fourth down in the opponents territory, sure.

I'd like to eliminate the rules that have turned the quarterbacks into skirt wearing princesses, actually take off a lot of the rules which eliminate hard hitting.

stevek

Cheerleaders should not have to wear clothes.

perkdog

<< <i>Cheerleaders should not have to wear clothes. >>



Agreed!

JackWESQ

Keene,

No punting while in opponents' territory? That's a great idea. Didn't think of that.

Stevek,

Nude cheerleaders? Sounds good. But then the FCC would step in. Would you want that rule if it meant no more games being televised? In which case, to see the nude cheerleaders, you would actually have to be at the game.

/s/ JackWESQ

perkdog

No punting in teams territories? You gotta be kidding me? If you know anything about football Field position is a HUGE part of the game, so if your up by say three points and your on the opponents 49 yard line with not much time left you think its a good idea to go for it on say 4th and 10? I gotta disagree with that one.

stevek

<< <i>If it's fourth down in the opponents territory, sure.

I'd like to eliminate the rules that have turned the quarterbacks into skirt wearing princesses, actually take off a lot of the rules which eliminate hard hitting. >>



Spoken like someone who doesn't understand the vulnerability of playing the quarterback position, and the importance of the quarterback position for the entertainment and enjoyment of the game for the fans.

Keene

Come on, the QB has been fine for decades, but in the last 5 years or so, in a desperate attempt to drive up scoring, have these rules been put in play. The same timeline as no contact after 5 yards for receivers, etc. etc.

TheMcgwireMuseum

I would like to see overtime rules adjusted to those of the NCAA, so it doesnt come down to a coin flip.

lawnmowerman

<< <i>I would like to see overtime rules adjusted to those of the NCAA, so it doesnt come down to a coin flip. >>



Good call! I would be for that. College ot is fun to watch

Keene

<< <i>No punting in teams territories? You gotta be kidding me? If you know anything about football Field position is a HUGE part of the game, so if your up by say three points and your on the opponents 49 yard line with not much time left you think its a good idea to go for it on say 4th and 10? I gotta disagree with that one. >>



Why not? Force these teams to play defense for 60 minutes. Both teams play by the same rules, and last time I checked, both offensive and defensive players get paid. This is the same argument I hear about how sudden death overtime isn't fair.

stevek

<< <i>Come on, the QB has been fine for decades, but in the last 5 years or so, in a desperate attempt to drive up scoring, have these rules been put in play. The same timeline as no contact after 5 yards for receivers, etc. etc. >>



It wasn't fine...I forget the exact year but it wasn't too many years ago, in one season an extraordinary number of 1st string quarterbacks got injured in the NFL - that's bad for the game...hence the rules were changed to protect a vulnerable quarterback while in the pocket, and that was a good decision.

gosteelers

<< <i>I would like to see overtime rules adjusted to those of the NCAA, so it doesnt come down to a coin flip. >>



Not for me. I can't stand the hokey way that college football runs their OTs. Have a 10:00 OT period in the NFL. If, at the end of the 10:00, you're tied, big deal, you're tied...

gosteelers

<< <i>If you could change one NFL rule, what would it be? I don't know why, but I've been thinking about this question for the past several weeks. Well actually, I think I do know why ... the Pats are scoring all these points and going for it on 4th down.

I've always been an all or nothing type of guy, so I would eliminate the FG, e.g. force teams to go for the TD (or punt); or

I would eliminate the punt altogether, force teams to always go for it on 4th down. This would dramatically change the game, scoring and strategy wise, but hey, it would be infinitely more entertaining. I think I would go for this.

/s/ JackWESQ >>



Mine would be changing that stupid rule whereby a coach can call a timeout as the FG attempt is almost sailing through the uprights...

Keene

College OT is terrible, why do they start teams off in the redzone? As far as OT being determined by a coinflip, its about 50/50. And as far as QB's being injured, they obviously need better skillsets to either avoid the rush, to know when to get rid of the ball, or to take off. Next thing you know they'll put flags on the QB and say they can't be tackled.

Connecticoin

<< <i>

<< <i>I would like to see overtime rules adjusted to those of the NCAA, so it doesnt come down to a coin flip. >>



Not for me. I can't stand the hokey way that college football runs their OTs. Have a 10:00 OT period in the NFL. If, at the end of the 10:00, you're tied, big deal, you're tied... >>



Agreed. Let them play 8 or 10 minutes, but instead of a tie, have a "shootout" of 45 yard field goals!!

drewsef

take marijuana off the banned substances list...let the police take care of that.........It's not performance enhancing and the NFL should not be a policing agency.

bigdcards

<< <i>take marijuana off the banned substances list...let the police take care of that.........It's not performance enhancing and the NFL should not be a policing agency. >>


Should be legal anyway.




I've always hated that a fumble that goes through the endzone is a turnover. It should go to the spot of the fumble. I'd also kill the Super Bowl halftime show. Unless the nude cheer leaders thing goes through.

jradke4

the automatic first down for illegal contact by a defensive player. yards only and replay the down.

AlanAllen

The NFL does almost everything right. I'm not a big fan of sudden death overtime, but the college system is a freaking mockery. It's not football! It's something resembling football, but it ain't football. But the way it is now, the teams are competing to see who can get into field goal range first. That's not football either. 8 or 10 minutes would be OK, but I'd like to see a full 5th quarter. That way all aspects of the game come into play. More analagous to extra innings than to a soccer shootout. BTW I just did a quick google search and since the NFL put in overtime in regular season games, the team winning the coin flip has won 52% of games.

Being nitpicky about how ties are handled, which only happen in about 10% of games, is a positive sign for the NFL. If I were to change one thing, it would be to remove the list of calls that are not reviewable. Why can't a field goal be reviewed? Why not a receiver being pushed out of bounds as he catches the ball (the Browns would have beaten the Cardinals 2 weeks ago if this was reviewable).

My 2 cents,
Joe

Brian48

Pass Interference calls should be reviewable.

AlanAllen

<< <i>Pass Interference calls should be reviewable. >>



Absolutely! That's a great example of a bang-bang call that if the ref is partially shielded or even blinks at the wrong time, the wrong call can be made.

Joe

mercurynut

I would change the pass interference rule. I would make it a 15 yard penalty or half the distance to the goal inside the 20 and lets get rid of these 60 yard moves down the field on a flag.

sagard

I want longer field goals worth more points.

0-30 - two points.
31-45 - three points.
46-55 - four points.
56-65 - five.
66 or longer - six points.

This encourages teams to go for more touch downs when close. Try some long field goals when way out. Long snappers would need to get more skills.

mercurynut

<< <i>I want longer field goals worth more points.

0-30 - two points.
31-45 - three points.
46-55 - four points.
56-65 - five.
66 or longer - six points.

This encourages teams to go for more touch downs when close. Try some long field goals when way out. Long snappers would need to get more skills. >>



But they lose one point if they purposely take a delay of game call to make a longer FG or on and offensive penalty.

TomGshotput

I agree, no more special teams, those plays account for the vast majority of dead time. Cut to commercial, fair catch or touch back, another commercial. Extremely boring. A big gain on fourth and ten would be almost as exciting as a Devin Hester return and happen a lot more often. When a team scores a touchdown the other team then starts at the 50 yard line. The value of field position would become even greater

66Starfire

Take out the intentional downing penalty.
They dont inforce it anyway.Spiking the the ball in the pocket IS intentional downing.

rube26105

use fat boy stitzen/keene as the ball

thegemmintman

No more calling time out to "ice" a kicker. It's lame, doesn't work, and just slows the game down. So in short, if the offensive team is lining up for a FG the defense is not allowed to call a time out.

thegemmintman

<< <i>Pass Interference calls should be reviewable. >>




Definitely!!!!!

bigfische

i always thought the xfl had it right in one situation, no fair catches.

Michigan

<< <i>I would like to see overtime rules adjusted to those of the NCAA, so it doesnt come down to a coin flip. >>



I would like to see both teams get a chance to score rather than have it end with one team getting the
field goal with a first possession. Let the other team have a chance to score but make it so they have to
get a touchdown and not a field goal to tie it up. Maybe that is not entirely fair compared to the team getting the coin
flip and a field goal but it would be at least give them a chance to win.

sonoranmonsoon

<< <i>Cheerleaders should not have to wear clothes. >>

Carew29

Being able to call two consectutive timeouts to freeze a kicker.......... Gibbs, how could you not know this rule???

MPeter

How about eliminating the Two Minute Warning! What really is the point in stopping the clock at that time anyway? If there is momentum, it's now stopped. If a team is way ahead, it's a worthless point in stopping the clock too.

MPeter

Uniform rule change...........all that ugly, Polynesian hair must be tucked into your helmet or cut off. Can we please do something about that!