New rule: Unsportsmanlike conduct/leaping
What it means: This change outlaws the emerging strategy to leap over the line of scrimmage to block extra point attempts or field goal attempts. There were three such blocks last season before teams adjusted and put the leaper in jeopardy of being flipped in the air and landing awkwardly. Players, coaches and the league all considered it a safety risk. As much fun as it is to watch the play unfold, I can't disagree with this decision. Teams will have to find a new way to defeat special-teams blocking schemes.
New rule: Intentional fouls/unsportsmanlike conduct
What it means: Teams will now be penalized 15 yards, and the game clock will be restored, if they commit multiple fouls on the same play in an effort to manipulate the game clock. This seemingly obscure change is directed at a strategy employed by the
San Francisco 49ers and
Baltimore Ravens last season, as well as by the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. The 49ers, for example, committed defensive holding on every
New Orleans Saints receiver they were defending on one play during a two-minute drill, leaving quarterback
Drew Brees without a viable target. The 49ers gladly traded a 5-yard penalty for valuable time drained off the clock. I'm sad but not surprised to see this one go. NFL teams rarely employ non-traditional strategies, and this certainly was a good one. But generally speaking, teams shouldn't be rewarded for breaking the rules.
New rule: Stronger enforcement of penalties for "very egregious" hits
What it means: The competition committee identified a handful of plays from the 2016 season that included hits so violent and so counter to existing rules that it wanted them "out of our game," according to chairman Rich McKay. Referees already were empowered to eject players who committed those acts, and they will be encouraged to use that authority. If they don't, the committee is recommending that the player be suspended for his next game even if it is a first offense. No rules will change, but it will be a point of emphasis. The league believes the issue will only arise a few times per season. I'm not so sure. Points of emphasis usually bring heavy-handed enforcement, especially early in the season. This is one to keep an eye on in September.
http://cowboyszone.com/threads/nfl-to-go-with-full-time-officials.382273/page-2
"very egregious" hits sorry but this is a judgement call rule that is being added to 2017 season. People are going to expect a clear cut call from the ref on something as vague as very egregious?
