NFL Competition Committee proposed rule changes for 2012

I like this a lot

 

I opened this thinking I would see that they outlawed backup quarterbacks named Tebow...it would fit with the theme of every other new thread started today.

 

Yeah, it was really weird reading something football related.

 

I love this idea: 7. The replay booth would automatically review turnovers in the same way that every scoring play is now reviewed.

 

Won't more replays just slow the game down even more?

How about a rule that if replays don't give definitive proof in 30 seconds the play stands as called on the field? It seems that some of these replays take forever, and all the rigmarole that surrounds them seems daft. A guy in the replay booth can take a quick look, see if something is obviously wrong and buzz the officials. Get on with the game.

 

I like the IR bylaw that allows players to return. It will prevent Tanny from wasting roster spots on injured players hoping they come back at some point.

 

Moving opening day to Wednesday is just plain stupid. Just play Sunday or maybe have a Saturday night game. Wednesday? Stupid...

 

When are the new rule changes (if there are any) announced?

 

They can put the game on any night of the week and people will still watch.

 

Isn't that the way they routinely review touchdown plays now? I can't remember having to see the head official going under the hood every time someone gets into the endzone. Heck, refs will stand there in the middle of the field conferring about a fumble longer than it takes to have somebody in the booth review the camera footage. I think this rule is a good idea if they do it right.

It's the replays based on challenge flags that end up taking 10 minutes to resolve.

 

The NFL should find a way to address to when to blow the whistle on fumbles. Multiple times the refs blow the whistle too early, meaning even if it was a fumble the team that recovered is not allowed to advance it. Or they blow the play dead immediately and a team can't challenge because nobody had clear possession of the football since the play was dead.

I think the best thing to do on fumbles is let it play out, especially with the rules reviewing every turnover. That way if it is a fumble the defense has a chance to recover and advance. If it is not a fumble, no harm done.

 

If they're going to review every turnover there is absolutely no reason to blow the whistle early, so I agree 100% with you.

These seem like very sensible rule changes.

 

Wow, these are all logical rule changes. I hope they go into effect before this season.

 

I think the replay rule change is a good one. I like the college system better, where every play is reviewable and the coaches only have one challenge. It may add a couple of minutes onto each game, but I've never been a big fan of the coach controlling when to throw the challenge flag. Let an official who is not on the field make that call that further review is needed.

I'm also good with the dead ball foul for too many men on the field. The only negative I can see from it would be when a defense is trying to slow down a no-huddle team by intentionally forcing a stop in play. 5 yards isn't going to make a whole lot of difference when the players merely need to catch their breath for 45 seconds while the penalty is enforced.

 

I still think they should review pass-interference given it can be such a game-changing penalty.

 

By far, imo, the pass interference penalty is the worst rule in the NFL and needs fixing.

The judgement of the official is so important and after watching literally 100's and probably 1000's of PI calls over the years, I don't feel like the officials are right at a high enough percentage to warrant the size (or potential size) of the penalty (in fact, I believe over the years, I would guess the official to be right about 2 out of 3 times, which is generous, on PI calls).

That may seem like a decent percentage, but, when you consider the penalty, at times, is as long (in terms of costly yardage) as a quarterback can throw the ball (and how much that can change a game, especially a tight defensive battle), the percentage of a ref being correct would need to be much higher, imo.

The call is too subjective and there is way too much opportunity for the a non-player to change the entire course of the game.

For as many times as I have seen it correctly called in a close game that literally changed that particular game (and perhaps was warranted in that instance), I have also seen it called and effect 10 times as many games, in far too impactful of a way, to be considered truly fair to the circumstances.

The penalty seems outdated in a game dominated by passing. Maybe 30 years ago when a team may only throw it 15 or 20 times a game, it was more justified (although still too much, imo).

In today's game (with each team possibly thowing 35 or 40 passes or even more), the pass interference call (and it's potential to change the entire momentum of game) is far too prevalent.


Also, the fact that a PI call is so judgemental and not agreed to by all eyes watching it, leaves open the possibility of foul play (pun intended) by the official (see NBA). There is a potential for disaster here (especially with the stakes getting bigger and bigger) and I think it should be looked at very closely.

Afterall, the rules have been so skewed towards the offense in recent years, that overall scoring (which is supposedly what the fans want and will supposedly keep the fans happy) will hardly dip if the rule is amended, but it could help the league from having games being determined by a possible bad call (one is too many and there have been many more than one).

I prefer the college rule, although that could be tweaked, as well.

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7747023/nfl-owners-ok-review-turnovers-ot-tweak

All turnovers will be reviewed from the booth with no coaches' challenges needed and overtime periods in the regular season will use the same scoring rules as the postseason after NFL owners voted to approve those proposals Wednesday.

The replay official already reviews all scoring plays.

With all turnovers now subject to review, it could lead to even more effective coaching challenges. According to ESPN Stats & Information, last season (the first with all touchdowns being reviewed), plays were reversed on 52 percent of challenges, the best rate over the past 11 seasons and 10 percent higher than in 2010.

The NFL rarely tinkered with overtime until two years ago, when the Saints won the NFC title by winning the coin toss to start the extra period, marching downfield and kicking a field goal.

The vote on adopting the overtime was 30-2.

An overtime in the regular season now will end on a team's first possession only if it scores a touchdown or the defense forces a safety. If the team kicks a field goal on its first possession, the opposing team also will get a possession. If it also kicks a field goal, the extra period continues.

Other rules changes: A team will lose a down for illegally kicking a loose ball; too many men on the field becomes a dead-ball foul; and a player receiving a crackback block is now considered a defenseless player and will result in a 15-yard penalty.

Not passed were proposals to have the booth official handle video reviews rather than the referee, and outlawing the horse-collar tackle made on quarterbacks in the pocket.

Given the NFL's concern with player safety, not extending the horse-collar rule seemed surprising. But competition committee chairman Rich McKay said the ownership "didn't think this can impact on player safety."

"The rule was developed for the open-field tackle when a defender has the chance to do something else (in making the tackle)," he said. "He's also able to use the runner's momentum against him. We didn't think that applied to the pocket, didn't see the injury risk."

Several bylaw changes were tabled until the league meetings in May, including expanding preseason rosters to 90, designating one player suffering a major injury before Week 2 of the season as eligible to return from injured reserve, and moving the trading deadline back two weeks to after Week 8.

McKay expects them to pass at the next meetings in Atlanta.

"There were good ideas and suggestions, no resistance," he said. "We'll work on the language."

Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the league's strong stance against non-contract bonuses such as the Saints' bounty program that got coach Sean Payton suspended for one year and cost New Orleans a $500,000 fine and two second-round draft choice. Goodell said the league will not allow any cash payments between players, whether the clubs are involved or not.

"It's not permissible and we are going to take that out of the game," he said.

Goodell expects to speak with players' union head DeMaurice Smith before the end of the week and hopes to have the NFLPA's recommendations on punishment for players involved in the bounties by then or soon after.

The NFL also will not be awarding the 2016 Super Bowl, its 50th, to any city this year. Goodell said he expects many bidders for the game.

 

Did we ever actually see the new overtime rule in effect in a playoff game?