Numerous Major Rule Changes To Be Considered at NFL Meetings

[Doomsday101]

In no sport but the NFL do players, fans, coaches and general managers annually debate the rules of the game, advocating ways to make pro football better, safer, fairer.

Officiating is especially a hot topic around the league after a blown call late in the NFC championship game pretty much cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.

That capped a season that began with the long-awaited clarification of what constitutes a catch and then was marred by widespread confusion over what exactly is a legal takedown of the quarterback.




While defenders learned new ways to tackle to avoid flags for even glancing blows to the helmet, they complained about O-linemen illegally blocking too far downfield in the run-pass option craze that has successfully seeped in from the college game.

Giants owner John Mara hears the cries to change the NFL’s replay review system after officials failed to flag the blatant pass interference penalty and a helmet-first hit by the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman deep in Los Angeles territory in the NFC championship match. The non-calls helped Los Angeles force overtime and eventually win the game to reach the Super Bowl, leading to widespread displeasure with the current system regarding coaches’ challenges.

https://www.westernjournal.com/wc/a...YOdEk_sNL4HWs3o93xsF0xF1CUyeSSa2FZ9m0t7C7eGzI

 

[EST_1986]

sky judge is a genius move so it's likely 5 years away

 

[BrassCowboy]

A sky judge may make calls more accurate, but will also lead to more penalties.
Now maybe if you make it that penalties have to be called on the field by field judges only, then after being told by use of technology the sky judge can help rule if the call is correct or not correct.

But the absolute last thing this league needs is more rules more penalties.

 

[EST_1986]

A sky judge may make calls more accurate, but will also lead to more penalties.
Now maybe if you make it that penalties have to be called on the field by field judges only, then after being told by use of technology the sky judge can help rule if the call is correct or not correct.

But the absolute last thing this league needs is more rules more penalties.

as long as the penalties called or not called are accurate who cares

 

[Future]

Sky Judge is dumb.

I don't see how you can have "sky judge" review a play, because they're probably going to find a penalty on each time. It's stupid to me for them to review, say, Pass Interference, but not at the same time review the OL to make sure there was no holding.

Just call less

 

[Pompey-Cowboy]

The problem of reviewing the rules every year is that some of the changes don't work so you have to review the rules every year and on and on it will go.......

 

[Nightman]

The NFL doesn't need any more rules except expanding the rosters

Let all 63 players dress for each game

 

[glimmerman]

They should do something. Some of these call and non calls are costing teams games. Sometimes the refs let the players play and sometimes they call everything. Consistence would be nice.

 

[CouchCoach]

They would improve it if they just enforced the rules like illegal OL downfield or "legal" pick plays, as they're called today. The targeting rule was a joke as I see that in every game not called.

The NFL has a tough call to make. One of the complaints and reasons for viewership drop from where it used to be is the length of the games and too many stop downs. Now, they're considering adding more?

Harbaugh makes some good points but his reference to fans leaving the stadium knowing they'd seen a fair game does little to address the real challenge, fans with remotes in their hands. When I feel a game is jerky or slow moving, I exit and find something else. Attention spans are not expanding, they're shrinking and more rules and more stops, regardless of the justification, is just asking for more tune out.

 

[JustChip]

I'm not on board yet with the Sky Judge simply because I'm afraid it would greatly increase the number of starts/stops. Almost nothing irritates me more than a team in rhythm and on a roll that gets derailed because of a stoppage of play. But something absolutely has to be done to protect, as much as humanly possible, from another occurrence like the NFCC.

An easy solution is to simply add 1 more Coach's Challenge that can only be used to challenge a called or non-called penalty. If the coach only has a single penalty challenge, he'll (or she'll in the future) be prudent in it's use. I'd venture to say it probably wouldn't get used in the vast majority of games so it would have little overall impact on the time of the game.

 

[CF74]

The NFL doesn't need any more rules except expanding the rosters

Let all 63 players dress for each game

This plus increase the roster size, I like hoarding prospects...

 

[Cowfan75]

Maybe they can meet about not meeting to think of more ways to make the game safer. You already put dresses on the QBs and you're well into doing the same for receivers. Even worse is that you will never be consistent with it.
Nobody wants to watch flag football.

 

[Doomsday101]

I have been watching the NFL since the 60's and one thing never changes and that is the league uses the off season to change rules. I think it makes it harder on the refs when they are constantly changing the rules.

 

[KingintheNorth]

The NFL doesn't need any more rules except expanding the rosters

Let all 63 players dress for each game

53?

...but I agree. The players usually get taken to the shed each time a new CBA is negotiated. If I was representing the players, I'd ask for 60 man rosters and 55 game day actives, especially if the owners are trying to get to 18 games. 7 new roster spots times 32 teams equals 224 more players (jobs).

The owners (billionaires) somehow get the sympathy from fans over the players (millionaires) which always surprises me, especially since the owners are looking at 20 plus years of revenues, where the average player is fighting for an average of 3 years of income.

 

[Nightman]

53?

...but I agree. The players usually get taken to the shed each time a new CBA is negotiated. If I was representing the players, I'd ask for 60 man rosters and 55 game day actives, especially if the owners are trying to get to 18 games. 7 new roster spots times 32 teams equals 224 more players (jobs).

The owners (billionaires) somehow get the sympathy from fans over the players (millionaires) which always surprises me, especially since the owners are looking at 20 plus years of revenues, where the average player is fighting for an average of 3 years of income.

No I was including the 10 Practice Squad players

They could play Special Teams.... if they played a regular down they would have to be added to the 53 man roster on Monday for at least a month

At 63 men the disparity in the number of injuries for each team wouldn't be a factor

 

[jwooten15]

They're always worried about length of games and don't want to further regulate with more rules because it'd make games last longer..

Ummm, have they not watched the AAF? Very few TV timeouts and they've found a way to make the games 2.5 hours. NFL could have more timeouts for reviews, and still shorten the game, if they'd quit being so money-hungry.

What a novel idea! I know the NFL would never consider cutting into their revenue, but if they're truly worried about shortening games - that is an easy fix.

Shorter games would probably increase viewership in the 20s demographic, and drive sales.

 

[Brax]

In no sport but the NFL do players, fans, coaches and general managers annually debate the rules of the game, advocating ways to make pro football better, safer, fairer.

Officiating is especially a hot topic around the league after a blown call late in the NFC championship game pretty much cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.

That capped a season that began with the long-awaited clarification of what constitutes a catch and then was marred by widespread confusion over what exactly is a legal takedown of the quarterback.




While defenders learned new ways to tackle to avoid flags for even glancing blows to the helmet, they complained about O-linemen illegally blocking too far downfield in the run-pass option craze that has successfully seeped in from the college game.

Giants owner John Mara hears the cries to change the NFL’s replay review system after officials failed to flag the blatant pass interference penalty and a helmet-first hit by the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman deep in Los Angeles territory in the NFC championship match. The non-calls helped Los Angeles force overtime and eventually win the game to reach the Super Bowl, leading to widespread displeasure with the current system regarding coaches’ challenges.

https://www.westernjournal.com/wc/a...YOdEk_sNL4HWs3o93xsF0xF1CUyeSSa2FZ9m0t7C7eGzI

bad calls have been around since day 1, bad calls happen every play and every game, special rules for QB's hits, instant replay that doesn't work. rule changes that are a joke, this is plain destroying the game and making it unwatchable at times. Lets go back to 2 coaches challenges per game period for any reason including non penalty calls , no more booth reviews, no 2 minute let both review every other play, no TD review, no fumble review, 2 challenges per game from coach for any reason. Take away rules for inadvertent helmet contact penalty and the crazy touch the QB and its a penalty. . Enforce the rules that exist and the problem is fixed. Me personally would like to see throw always out side the tackle box are spotted 5 yards from the original line of scrimmage. If the college games becomes the NFL norm I am out , it's bad enough to watch the Defense struggle now.

 

[Flamma]

I have been watching the NFL since the 60's and one thing never changes and that is the league uses the off season to change rules. I think it makes it harder on the refs when they are constantly changing the rules.

It does make it harder on the refs. A big part of the problem is that different refs enforce rules differently. Take the rule about not hitting a defenseless WR. Does that include after he catches the ball? Clearly some refs think so, others do not. The rule book in the NFL is like the tax code. It's all over the place and very hard to keep track of, and it shows during the games.

 

[jazzcat22]

The nfl is the only league that seem to make changes just to make them and are usually for the worse.
And Dallas is always the team that gets screwed from them. Or is used against them first in some weird fashion.

 

[Doomsday101]

bad calls have been around since day 1, bad calls happen every play and every game, special rules for QB's hits, instant replay that doesn't work. rule changes that are a joke, this is plain destroying the game and making it unwatchable at times. Lets go back to 2 coaches challenges per game period for any reason including non penalty calls , no more booth reviews, no 2 minute let both review every other play, no TD review, no fumble review, 2 challenges per game from coach for any reason. Take away rules for inadvertent helmet contact penalty and the crazy touch the QB and its a penalty. . Enforce the rules that exist and the problem is fixed. Me personally would like to see throw always out side the tackle box are spotted 5 yards from the original line of scrimmage. If the college games becomes the NFL norm I am out , it's bad enough to watch the Defense struggle now.

I agree I do think a difference I see it rules intended to protect players that tend to be judgement calls that was pretty hard to swallow last year. Some of the sacks especially early in the season did not look that bad yet players were getting hit with 15 yarders for them because they landed on the QB. Today so many of these QB are big, strong and athletic and if a defensive player does not wrap them up and take them down they will break free and make the play down the field.