NFL Rule Changes

stown

Personally, I hope they fix the playoff seedings. If a wildcard team has a better record than an inferior division leader, they should be rewarded with a home game.

Link

Owners table re-seeding playoffs proposal; pass other rules
By John Clayton

ESPN.com

Updated: April 2, 2008, 10:54 AM ET

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- NFL owners concluded their annual meeting owners with quick passages of several proposals and by tabling the re-seeding idea for the playoffs.

Without the necessary 24 votes to pass a re-seeding plan to give wild-card teams the chance to host playoff games, the Competition Committee tabled the concept to a later meeting, most likely May.

Among the proposals that were passed:

• A recommendation to eliminate force-out decisions on pass completions near the sidelines was approved. Now, officials will only have to decide whether a receiver landed in bounds or not. The intended result is more consistency.

• The "Phil Dawson field goal rule" change passed. Now, certain field goals can be reviewed by instant replay, including kicks that bounce off the uprights. Under the previous system, no field goals could be replayed.

• Coaches can now defer a decision on the opening coin toss. This is similar to the college rule. Previously, the winner of the coin toss could only choose to receive or kick off.

• A direct snap from center that goes backward will now be treated as a fumble. Previously, it was ruled a false start.

• The 5-yard face mask penalty was eliminated. Now, only the serious face mask will be called (and will be assessed as a 15-yard penalty). The major foul will involve twisting or grabbing the face mask.

On Tuesday, the league tabled a Kansas City Chiefs' proposal to prohibit hair hanging over the back of jerseys to the nameplate.

It passed a rule to allow defensive players to wear radio helmets on Tuesday.

John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

Davemri

I agree with the playoff seedings.


I always wondered about the 5 yard facemask. It was always called "incidental" and imo didnt' require a flag.

Dave

kcballboy

<< <i>On Tuesday, the league tabled a Kansas City Chiefs' proposal to prohibit hair hanging over the back of jerseys to the nameplate.

<< <i>




Great, now the Chiefs have officially accomplished NOTHING this offseason.

Ahmanfan

I wonder if what we would consider incidental facemask would now just be an automatic 15 (any contact with the facemask) or if it has to be a real hard tug, could see some players getting away with some lesser facemask which is dangerous in that scenario.

Also not sure why they killed the forceout rule, a player needs the opportunity to land where there momentum is taking them in my opinion, anytime it's a pass down the sideline now, the dback can just shove the WR out of bounds when they are coming down instead of having to fight for the ball.
John

Mercury10c

<< <i>• Coaches can now defer a decision on the opening coin toss. This is similar to the college rule. Previously, the winner of the coin toss could only choose to receive or kick off. >>


I don't watch college football. Could you explain this one to me? Coaches can choose to receive, kick off, or......? What else is there? Not choose either?

AlanAllen

Overall, good choices. I was pleasantly surprised by the forceout rule. I never understood why what MIGHT have happened IF the defender decided to not do his job was more important that what DID happen. Reviewing field goals is a good decision - it's almost always indisputable on tape if a FG was good or not, so this eliminates split-second officiating mistakes.

Edited to add: Any year they DON'T institute the ridiculous college football overtime rules is a good year!

gotsparks09

<< <i>

<< <i>• Coaches can now defer a decision on the opening coin toss. This is similar to the college rule. Previously, the winner of the coin toss could only choose to receive or kick off. >>


I don't watch college football. Could you explain this one to me? Coaches can choose to receive, kick off, or......? What else is there? Not choose either? >>



I don't watch college football, either. But I think it just means that the team that won the coin toss can decide NOT to decide...and force the other team to do so.

For example: KC Chiefs vs. SF 49ers. KC wins the opening coin toss. They can say the 49ers have to make the call whether to receive or kick.


Main Entry:
2defer
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
deferred; deferring
Etymology:
Middle English deferren, differren, from Middle French deferer, defferer, from Late Latin deferre, from Latin, to bring down, bring, from de- + ferre to carry — more at bear
Date:
15th century

transitive verb : to delegate to another <he could defer his job to no one — J. A. Michener> intransitive verb : to submit to another's wishes, opinion, or governance usually through deference or respect <deferred to her father's wishes>

gotsparks09

<< <i>• A recommendation to eliminate force-out decisions on pass completions near the sidelines was approved. Now, officials will only have to decide whether a receiver landed in bounds or not. The intended result is more consistency. >>



BAD



<< <i>• The "Phil Dawson field goal rule" change passed. Now, certain field goals can be reviewed by instant replay, including kicks that bounce off the uprights. Under the previous system, no field goals could be replayed.

• The 5-yard face mask penalty was eliminated. Now, only the serious face mask will be called (and will be assessed as a 15-yard penalty). The major foul will involve twisting or grabbing the face mask. >>



GOOD

stevek

Among the proposals that were passed:

• A recommendation to eliminate force-out decisions on pass completions near the sidelines was approved. Now, officials will only have to decide whether a receiver landed in bounds or not. The intended result is more consistency.

Bad idea.

• The "Phil Dawson field goal rule" change passed. Now, certain field goals can be reviewed by instant replay, including kicks that bounce off the uprights. Under the previous system, no field goals could be replayed.

Good idea.

• Coaches can now defer a decision on the opening coin toss. This is similar to the college rule. Previously, the winner of the coin toss could only choose to receive or kick off.

Neutral idea.

• A direct snap from center that goes backward will now be treated as a fumble. Previously, it was ruled a false start.

Good idea.

• The 5-yard face mask penalty was eliminated. Now, only the serious face mask will be called (and will be assessed as a 15-yard penalty). The major foul will involve twisting or grabbing the face mask.

Bad idea.



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Mercury10c

<< <i>I don't watch college football, either. But I think it just means that the team that won the coin toss can decide NOT to decide...and force the other team to do so. >>


OK, that explains it. How this could be an advantage to the team winning the coin toss is beyond me. Thanks.

bsidegrve

That force out rule change imo will lead to receivers getting crushed along the sidelines......why go for the ball if a receiver jumps for it.....just smack em out of bounds.......as his hands are touching the ball......we'll see but I think they shouldn't have changed that rule....

stevek

<< <i>That force out rule change imo will lead to receivers getting crushed along the sidelines......why go for the ball if a receiver jumps for it.....just smack em out of bounds.......as his hands are touching the ball......we'll see but I think they shouldn't have changed that rule.... >>



You're exactly right. The owners and the fans usually like offense, but this rule will clearly decrease offensive production. Maybe some owners thought that today's quarterbacks and receivers were getting too prolific and don't want the NFL to look like arena football.

Also the owners now seem to be in the mind frame of reducing and "standardizing" the time of the games, probably because of pressure from the TV networks with some games running too long. Stupid because it seems to me that for the most part, the instant replay has worked well. Yes, this is a terrible, ridiculous rule change here which will likely be corrected in the future.



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jdip9

Eliminating the force out rule is terrible. Where does it end? Seems possible that someone could jump up 1-2 yards in boards and get caught in mid-air by the DB and dumped out of bounds? Doesn't make sense.

Someone explain the "direct snap that goes backward" to me. Don't all snaps go backward???

stevek

<< <i>Eliminating the force out rule is terrible. Where does it end? Seems possible that someone could jump up 1-2 yards in boards and get caught in mid-air by the DB and dumped out of bounds? Doesn't make sense.

Someone explain the "direct snap that goes backward" to me. Don't all snaps go backward??? >>



Those tall "jump & fetch" receivers like Randy Moss who hug the sidelines and run corner routes in the endzone, will definitely have their effectiveness reduced, perhaps even significantly. Maybe the owners wanted to level the playing field against these types of receiver who have a sizable advantage over smaller cornerbacks.

Wow - Did Randy Moss now turn out to be a disasterous signing by the Patriots or what? I predict Moss won't catch 5 touchdown passes this season.



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kcballboy

So technically a receiver could jump up and catch the ball in the center of the field, and a DB could catch him and carry him all the way to the sideline and throw him out, and as long as the receiver never touched the ground with the ball, it's an incomplete pass?


Not that that would ever happen (although I wouldn't be surprised to see some try it), but I would love to see it just once to see the look on the faces of those that made the rule change.

stevek

Randy Moss, especially after his big fat contract, is gonna play like a frightened puppy out there. He'll windup shortarming and dropping more passes than any receiver in NFL history. He'll figure "for who, for what" should he risk getting hurt - LOL

Oh I admit it, it'll be fun to watch the decline of the high & mighty Patriots this upcoming season.


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jlbsquared

The force out rule will be the same as the NCAA, and they don't have crazy problems with it... It was just too arbitrary a call, and if I'm not mistaken wasn't reviewable...

flash49

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher said eliminating the force-out rule was approved unanimously and that it will help officiating. A receiver now must get two feet inbounds unless he actually is carried out of bounds by a defender after catching the ball.no carring out of bounds.

stown

<< <i>A receiver now must get two feet inbounds unless he actually is carried out of bounds by a defender after catching the ball.no carring out of bounds. >>



Huh?

flash49

seems to be like forward motion.if you catch ball in air and are carried out of bounds ball is spotted where you caught it.ball carrier gains 2 yards and is pushed back 4 yards ball is spotted at spot of loss of forward motion.

jdip9

Someone still hasn't been able to explain this one to me yet:

<<<A direct snap from center that goes backward will now be treated as a fumble. Previously, it was ruled a false start. >>>

all snaps go backwards, don't they?