More change is afoot as the rules of football could be in for another shakeup.
At the NFL owners meeting later this month, 14 proposed rule changes will be presented to owners for discussion and vote. Competition Committee Chairman and owner of the Atlanta Falcons Rich McKay (above) presented the proposals via conference call yesterday.
Some of the rule changes proposed are as follows:
- Make the new overtime rules implemented for the postseason in 2010 applicable to the entire season
- Institute an automatic replay official review on all “traditional turnovers” (interceptions and fumbles)
- Move the trade deadline from after Week 6 to after Week 8 of the regular season
- Institute a Reserve-Injured exception for a designated player, who would be allowed to return to the field during the season
- Adding a loss of down to the penalty for kicking a loose ball, as is the case in college football
- Expanding the roster limit for training camp and the offseason to 90 players, with unsigned draft picks now counting toward that limit
Some fairly heavy duty stuff there. That is not all of the changes proposed but the more important ones. Let’s go over them.
The rule that will likely interest fans the most is the overtime law. This rule change has proven to be popular and one in which fans and teams alike have wished to be extended to the regular season. Expect this change to be passed.
The most contentious change will likely be the extension of automatic instant replay to include “traditional” turnovers. While it may seem like a logical thing to do, consider the amount of time that the game takes to play already. Also consider the number of turnovers we see in the average game. Now consider the amount of time that would be used reviewing these plays. That will be where opposition to this proposal comes in. Could go either way but for now my best guess is this change will not be implemented just yet.
The roster changes are small but rather significant. The new IR law is one that could prove particularly valuable to teams that have a star player go down early in the season. This rule will give teams a little more flexibility with players who might otherwise be placed on IR and therefore miss the entire season due to the team needing the roster space.
The other roster limit change is designed to replace a law that encourages teams to sign undrafted free agents. Under the old law, teams could have 80 players on their roster during offseason and training camp but there was an exemption for undrafted free agents as these players did not count towards the limit. Under the proposed change, rosters would be expanded to 90 players with the exemption for undrafted players removed. This change is very serious as it means that fewer undrafted players from a given year’s college class are likely to be given their opportunity to compete for a roster spot. Teams like the option of course because it gives them the chance to have more players on their roster and in particular more experienced players. The fallout from such a change could be on college football as there would be less incentive for lesser players to turn pro but also those players that do turn pro will have far less opportunity.
The moving of the trade deadline is a discussion which is held most years in one respect or another. This time it may have some momentum. With teams perceived to be having more and more injury issues and also with the continued emergence of star players midseason, there is an increased buzz for the NFL’s trade deadline to be moved. Teams, fans and commentators have been calling for this vigorously for some time and with how early in the season the current deadline is it’s not hard to see why. Expect this one to encourage a lot of debate among the owners.
The last rule change I will mention here is one that has been driven largely by fans and followers of the college game – the kicking of a loose ball. Every now and again a proposal like this comes forward where it is perceived that a rule used in the college game is a good idea at the pro level. Now we do already have an NFL rule regarding kicking away a loose ball but the penalty is loss of yardage. In the college game, teams also lose a down for the offence. I can’t see this rule going through due to the way it would need to be called but I included it here to give you an example of not only the ways the college game can influence the pro game but also to show how pointless it can be to compare the two.
So what do you think? What rules do you want changed? Be sure to leave your comments and as always we appreciate any correspondence.
To stay up to date on the latest from NFL Spin Zone, become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.