My recommended rule changes

Reverend Conehead

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Here is how I would change the rules of the game. It's not a list of what I think will happen. It's what I think should happen.

1. I say this every year and will keep saying it: Abolish the bump and run. It's by far my most hated rule. They enacted it in 1978. Prior to that year, there was no rule saying a defensive back could only contact a receiver in the first five yards. He could rough him up all he wanted until the ball was in the air. There was no penalty known as "illegal contact." I've never believed the game should be slanted in favor of the offense. The league decided it should be in order to supposedly make more exciting games. I think good defense is exciting. A pick 6 is just as exciting as a TD pass. Nix the bump and run. I hate it. It's the thing I hate most about the NFL.
2. Nix that rule that says a team gets penalized if the coach throws the red flag on a play that's to be reviewed anyway. It also should not stop the review from happening. If a coach throws a red flag when it's to be reviewed anyway, the ref just hands it back to him and explains that the challenge is not needed.
3. Ban bush league timeouts. These timeouts the instant before the ball is snapped for a field goal try have got to go. If a coach does that, it's a fifteen yard penalty. A coach cannot ask in advance for a timeout just before the snaps. He can only ask for a timeout at the moment he asks for it.
4. No more radios in helmets and no calling plays via hand signals from the sidelines. A quarterback must call all his own plays. The defensive captain must call all defensive sets. Put decisions the the hands of the players where they should be.
5. An interference call is now challengeable. A non-call still is not.
6. No more spiking the ball after a TD. No more victory celebrations. No more dunking the ball over the goal post. After a TD, a player can get pats on the back from teammates and that's it. Enough showboating.
7. End the ban on players dating cheerleaders. They should be free to do what they want in their personal lives.
8. Any team that uses lime green in their uniforms should have to add the word "puke" to their name since that's what that color looks like. This means that team up in Washington State will have to get rid of that ugly green or change their name to the Seattle "Puke" Seahawks.
9. Repeal the salary cap penalties that were unjustly given to the Cowboys and the Commanders. This means they are allowed to spend that amount extra in the next year and are reimbursed for any fines. The New York Giants will take a salary cap hit for the combined amount the Cowboys and Skins had to be docked for initiating the frivolous suit. Jim Mara should be required to give a press conference and apologize.
 
None will likely happen.
I love 1.
2 should still be a penalty delay if game. Know the rules if you are a coach. I think the play still should be reviewed.
3 I can get behind
I don't get your position on 4. I have no issue with eliminating helmet mics but coaches should be able to coach.
5, 6, 7 I can get behind
8 is childish no offense, but I assume you were trying to be funny.
9 I agree, the league signed off on it.
 
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes - Plus on a made field goal attempt, nothing should stop the completion of the attempt, and the offense should be able to decline any defensive penalty
4. No. Rediculous. You think we have mediocracy now, it would be unwatchable with all QB only play calling.
5. No. Lessened by number 1 and letting the receivers battle back.
6. No. Ridiculous. All for celebrations.
7. Yes. Its a teams right to determine this.
8. Why bring sarcasm to a serious topic?
9. It is what it is. Let it go.

My number 1 - Bring some sanity to rulings on receiving touchdowns by eliminating the ridiculous maintain possession all the way through completion of catch jibberish.

For example. A receiver catches a pass going horizontally across the field on the 1 yard line. All he has to do is get the tip of the ball to touch the white line with no part of his body in the end zone.

But, a receiver catches a pass 1 yard in the endzone by the front pylon. He must get 2 feet to touch the ground while controlling the ball and then maintain control all the through a hit and falling to the ground.

***?

If you control the ball past the goal line and have 2 feet touch the ground that should be a touchdown and the end of the play. Anything after that is dead ball activity and irrevelant unless its a late or illegal hit etc.

Reverend Conehead;4937789 said:
Here is how I would change the rules of the game. It's not a list of what I think will happen. It's what I think should happen.

1. I say this every year and will keep saying it: Abolish the bump and run. It's by far my most hated rule. They enacted it in 1978. Prior to that year, there was no rule saying a defensive back could only contact a receiver in the first five yards. He could rough him up all he wanted until the ball was in the air. There was no penalty known as "illegal contact." I've never believed the game should be slanted in favor of the offense. The league decided it should be in order to supposedly make more exciting games. I think good defense is exciting. A pick 6 is just as exciting as a TD pass. Nix the bump and run. I hate it. It's the thing I hate most about the NFL.
2. Nix that rule that says a team gets penalized if the coach throws the red flag on a play that's to be reviewed anyway. It also should not stop the review from happening. If a coach throws a red flag when it's to be reviewed anyway, the ref just hands it back to him and explains that the challenge is not needed.
3. Ban bush league timeouts. These timeouts the instant before the ball is snapped for a field goal try have got to go. If a coach does that, it's a fifteen yard penalty. A coach cannot ask in advance for a timeout just before the snaps. He can only ask for a timeout at the moment he asks for it.
4. No more radios in helmets and no calling plays via hand signals from the sidelines. A quarterback must call all his own plays. The defensive captain must call all defensive sets. Put decisions the the hands of the players where they should be.
5. An interference call is now challengeable. A non-call still is not.
6. No more spiking the ball after a TD. No more victory celebrations. No more dunking the ball over the goal post. After a TD, a player can get pats on the back from teammates and that's it. Enough showboating.
7. End the ban on players dating cheerleaders. They should be free to do what they want in their personal lives.
8. Any team that uses lime green in their uniforms should have to add the word "puke" to their name since that's what that color looks like. This means that team up in Washington State will have to get rid of that ugly green or change their name to the Seattle "Puke" Seahawks.
9. Repeal the salary cap penalties that were unjustly given to the Cowboys and the Commanders. This means they are allowed to spend that amount extra in the next year and are reimbursed for any fines. The New York Giants will take a salary cap hit for the combined amount the Cowboys and Skins had to be docked for initiating the frivolous suit. Jim Mara should be required to give a press conference and apologize.
 
Change OT rules to only touchdowns count or change it back to anything goes to win the game.
 
I'm not particularly fond of the rules of scoring a TD. Just having to get within the pylon or touching a 1/1000 of a millimeter of the goal line doesn't really properly constitute a TD for me, the carrier should have to maintain possession to mark a true touchdown in my eyes.
 
coblue;4937896 said:
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes - Plus on a made field goal attempt, nothing should stop the completion of the attempt, and the offense should be able to decline any defensive penalty
4. No. Rediculous. You think we have mediocracy now, it would be unwatchable with all QB only play calling.
5. No. Lessened by number 1 and letting the receivers battle back.
6. No. Ridiculous. All for celebrations.
7. Yes. Its a teams right to determine this.
8. Why bring sarcasm to a serious topic?
9. It is what it is. Let it go.

My number 1 - Bring some sanity to rulings on receiving touchdowns by eliminating the ridiculous maintain possession all the way through completion of catch jibberish.

For example. A receiver catches a pass going horizontally across the field on the 1 yard line. All he has to do is get the tip of the ball to touch the white line with no part of his body in the end zone.

But, a receiver catches a pass 1 yard in the endzone by the front pylon. He must get 2 feet to touch the ground while controlling the ball and then maintain control all the through a hit and falling to the ground.

***?

If you control the ball past the goal line and have 2 feet touch the ground that should be a touchdown and the end of the play. Anything after that is dead ball activity and irrevelant unless its a late or illegal hit etc.

We could go with the same rules as the NCAA where the receiver only has to get one foot in bounds. I could get behind that. I've seen a bunch of plays where it seemed reasonable to call it a catch in bounds, but the 2nd foot was just barely not down. It would also mean a player could catch and keep his balance instead of having to drag both feet to make sure they both stay in bounds.

And, if anyone was wondering, #8 is tongue in cheek. It's just my way of making fun of the Seahawks' stupid uniforms.
 
Reverend Conehead;4937789 said:
5. An interference call is now challengeable. A non-call still is not.

I think this is impossible to implement.
 
perrykemp;4938730 said:
I think this is impossible to implement.

Why? If the ref calls pass interference a coach can throw his red flag if he thinks it's a bad call and then it gets reviewed just like any other play. A coach still has a limited number of challenges and therefore can't throw his red flag all day. Seems to me it would work.
 
I know this won't happen but I would want home field advantage in the playoffs go by better record and not by seeding.
 
bigdnlaca;4939242 said:
I know this won't happen but I would want home field advantage in the playoffs go by better record and not by seeding.

I agree with that. I also thought of one more change I would make. If you use your emergency 3rd-string QB, it no longer prohibits you from putting your 1st or 2nd-string one back in.
 
the one rule change that should be made is all defenseless player/blow to the head type penalties should be reviewed.
 
6. No more spiking the ball after a TD. No more victory celebrations. No more dunking the ball over the goal post. After a TD, a player can get pats on the back from teammates and that's it. Enough showboating.


What?
They can do what the hell they want. If people are happy their scored. Grow up, and stop trying to be all high and mighty.

Damn snob.
 
Agree with all but #6. Whats the fun in it if players can't celebrate? Otherwise it could be pretty boring..
 
That no celebration crap is just something older people say just because they don't like to see the younger players having fun.
My grandpa was almost 90 when he died and people celebrated just as much as they do now.
 
#6 is a TERRIBLE suggestion... I wanna c the celebrations!! Rub it in and all
 
At the very least, adopt the NCAA pass interference penalty of 15 yards instead of a spot foul
 
I stand behind #6. I want to see men play football with honor and pride and not be showboating clowns. The NCAA appears to get along just fine without spiking.

Get your score, act like you've been there before, and toss the ball to the ref. Pats on the back are fine, but all these dances, spiking, signing the ball, goalpost dunks are just dumb. If I were comish, I would push hard for this rule change. If it were adopted, the game would go on just fine.
 
TheCoolFan;4939927 said:
At the very least, adopt the NCAA pass interference penalty of 15 yards instead of a spot foul

That's just down right stupid.
Say you throw a pass from the 45 yard line with 10 seconds to go.
And you throw a deep pass and your wr has a step on the DB.

and the DB just trips him on the 1 yard line before he makes the catch


HOW THE HELL is celebrating a touchdown not showing honor and pride?


If people don't like the other team dancing in the endzone, don't let them score.
These are grown *** men out there on the field.
If they aren't complaining about the celebrations after being scored on, neither should you.
 
DuceizBak;4939940 said:
That's just down right stupid.
Say you throw a pass from the 45 yard line with 10 seconds to go.
And you throw a deep pass and your wr has a step on the DB.

and the DB just trips him on the 1 yard line before he makes the catch

I agree with you. I prefer the spot fouls. The 15-yard penalty in the NCAA sets up some scenarios where you might as well interfere to win the game.
 

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