Major Rule Changes In Store For NFL
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Major Rule Changes In Store For NFL
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Lockout or no lockout, decertification or no decertification, the NFL will hold its annual March meeting next week – albeit an abbreviated 2-day version – in New Orleans.
In between discussions of its labor situation, the league’s owners will vote on 3 major playing-rules proposals by the competition committee. Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, the chairman of the competition committee, was on a conference call this morning, along with NFL discipline czar Ray Anderson, and announced the 3 rule proposals.
The first is an expansion of the defenseless player rule. The committee has proposed that a receiver be protected until he can either protect himself of clearly becomes a runner.
``We’re try to expand that window to prevent that player from getting hit in the head or getting hit by the head,’’ McKay said.
McKay said the competition committee has proposed standardizing protection for all 8 defenseless-player categories, which include: a quarterback in the act of or just after throwing a pass, a receiver attempting to catch a pass, a runner who already is in the grasp of a tackler and his forward progress has been stopped, a punt returner or kickoff returner who is attempting to field a kick in the air, a player on the ground at the end of play, a punter or kicker during a return, a quarterback anytime after a change of possession, and lastly, a receiver who receives a blindside block.
The committee also has proposed adding a category that will prohibit illegal launching. It would essentially prohibit players from leaving their feet, springing forward and upward and delivering a blow with any part of his helmet or facemask.
The 2 other playing-rule proposals by the completion committee:
--Major modifications to the kickoff, including moving the kickoff line up to the 35-yard line from the 30, not allowing anybody on the kickoff team other than kicker to line up more than 5 yards from kickoff line and moving touchbacks from the 20 to the 25. Kickoffs that go out of bounds would still be placed at the 40-yard line. Also, all forms of the wedge block would be eliminated, including the 2-man wedge.
``The injury rate on kickoffs continues to be a real concern for us,’’ McKay said.
--Two modifications of instant replay, including the elimination of the third coaches’ challenge and confirmation by a replay official in the booth on all scoring plays, which already is the case in the last 2 minutes of both halves and overtime.
Anderson, who got a lot of attention last season for all of the fines he levied on players around the league for illegal hits, said he will continue to crack down on illegal hits and won’t hesitate to issue suspensions to repeat offenders. He also said coaches and clubs will be held liable for the actions of their players.
``The competition committee was fully supportive of the way discipline was handled,’’ Anderson said. ``But we always know there are ways to improve. We plan to do that with more communication in advance with players, clubs, coaches in regard to what is expected. But (the competition committee) fully supported aggressive protection of defensless players, and aggressive protection of unnecessary hits to the head and neck area and illegal helmet hits.
``There will be strong support in 2011 season for making sure that players understand that when warranted, suspensions will be an effective discipline for us. We don’t want to go there, but if we must, we’re prepared to do that. Because these rules are meant to protect everybody on the field.
``There is a clear acknowledgement that we need to be aggressive in disciplining, and we will give very clear advance notice to all players and all clubs to what that could potentially entail.’’
Memo to Asante Samuel: You'd better learn how to tackle, dude. Or you’re going to be watching some games from the sideline next year.
Between the lockout and the girl rules, the NFL is going down hill.— donny050505- How about helmets of foam rubber only? Our entertainment should not come at the cost of early deaths for retired players from multiple head shots. Do not forget that boxing was once a major sport in this country. Today, most people agree it must be allowed to die. That's where football will be in 50 years without reforms.— orange rhino
- I agree, some of these proposals are ridiculous!!! You can't hit a QB in the act of throwing. A pump fake is the act of throwing, so astute QBs will pump fake to avoid being hit at all. If you can't block kickers, punters or QBs on changes of possession who are would-be tacklers, then they should give themselves up as tacklers and either go to the sideline or take a knee and taske themselves out of the play. I'm fine with protecting defenseless players from head shots, but come on, if someone is trying to make a tackle, then he should be able to be blocked.— tommy2times
- I hope that Asante Samuel is learning to tackle during the offseason or he'll be missing more games due to suspension than he'll be playing in 2011.— SteveS11
- So youre telling me a defender will have to hold up until a receiver catches the ball before he can be hit what a joke— ceemaya
- WHAT ??? If the kicker/punter/QB are not allowed to be hit, they be made to run off the field immediately and not be allowed to partake in any attempt, lame as may be, to tackle or impede the progress of the returner.
OR
how about just enforcing, equally, the rules that already exist !! Equally being the key, not just for a Manning or Brady.
WHY should a receiver be allowed to catch a pass totally unchallenged ???— FatBoy90 - After the CBA debacle is settled the NFL will become the WFL...Wussy Footbal League— merlinknghts
- So they're thinking about eliminating sacks I see. They are making the game so offense-oriented that defenders won't be able to play defense. Really, the NFL is trying to APPEAR that they care about protecting players, even though the best move to protect players would be to (1) NOT go to an 18 game regular season and (2) provide retirees with better health benefits.— SeaMichelle
- I've been saying this for several years now. Eventually the NFL will be two hand touch.— FranMc73
- On pass plays, how about instead of rushing the QB right away.....just have the linemen stand there and count 1-one thousand....2-one thousand til they hit 5. Then they would be allowed to rush the QB. This would allow o-linemen to rest--d-linemen to rest, and the QB never gets hurt, injuries are cut down, more points scored.......or better yet.....just make every game the pro bowl.— Big D phillies fan
- I'd make touchbacks on kickoffs come out to the 30, not the 25, but I'd also eliminate kneel-down touxhbacks. If the kickoff goes through the end zone, then the ball is placed at the 30 -- but if it lands in the end zone and is not advanced past the goal line, then the kicking team scores a safety.
Kickoffs would be more exciting if the receiving team actually HAD to advance them.— paolibulldog - In a few years, Lingerie football will have harder hits.— phillychaos
- CAn't wait cause the last 10 rules they changed have really f'd up the game so let's add some more stupid rules!! Let's call it soccer?— sawgrass
- FANS UNITE aka F U /NY Jets Chapter
Until the NFL lowers it's prices and respects the customer;
I WILL NOT buy any NFL merchandise.
I WILL NOT buy any single game tickets. If you have season tickets, cut concession sales by 50%.
I WILL NOT watch any preseason games.
I WILL NOT watch any network pregame or post game shows, HBO, SHO, or ESPN highlight shows, or any other NFL related programming (except the games).
I WILL listen to the first two (maybe more) regular season games on the radio (celestial not satellite).
I WILL NOT purchase the "NFL TICKET, "RED ZONE", NFL phone App's, or any other pay service.
I WILL boycott a sponsor (Anhieser Busch). Pick one, there are plenty to choose from, and send them an email to tell them so.
I WILL NOT buy any product endorsed by any NFL player.
Join the fight, let's show the NFL who's in charge. We are "FANS UNITE", and to the NFL we say, F U !!!!
— corsair214 - ohh gooody..as long as he cant get hit, kk will rule the universe— wolf 4
- Want to get even with the striking players? Outlaw helmets.— phillygwm
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Is this still football? I don't want to see players get hurt, but c'mon, thats the risk you take when you play footbal. Frankly, thats what draws us to the game every sunday.— penncrow19
- In all honesty implementing ejections for illegal hits will help a lot. $50k hit to the wallet is nothing to these guys.— rmg20
- Wow- I thought it was pretty obvious that all the new illegal hit rules had taken something away from the game last year. Now they are adding to them? I am definitely done watching this league. I can go watch a flag football game for free.— UncleStosh
- Comment removed.
- Who cares anyway. Lets pay everyone more. Stretch the season to bleed every dollar out of us and television rights. Hey, why not football 7 days a week in the NFL! You are already at 5 days and Thanksgiving. In the meantime, you can give us a watered down group of prima-donna players more concerned about their off-season than their wins. We can have over/unders of 120 pts soon also while they all make more of OUR money. Lets see. They want more money, no risk, and better benefits while doing less work. It sounds like city council.— SlinkTMP
- Quarterbacks should be forced to wear bubble wrap. "a punter or kicker during a return, a quarterback anytime after a change of possession." Great. Then what SHOULD happen is that the QB and Punter shuld not be allowed to tackle or participate in the tackle either. Period. You want them safe, declare them uneligible to stop a player who just intercepted them. Here is a thought on the punter and Kicker. Add another player during the kickoff and have the kicker only kick the ball and get out of the way of the men.
— SlinkTMP - Everyone bemoaning the lack of hitting should read the latest profile on Kevin Turner found here: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/26976/kevin-turners-road
Solid tackling does not have to mean launching yourself at someone's head.— jhutt75 
It's a pure disgrace!— Justicek
Just change it to call your own fouls.— Elbarad- So I guess the devastating block Avant laid on the NY Giants punter to spring Jackson for the epic game-winning punt return would be illegal.
If you are able to make a play on the ball handler, you should be open game to be blocked. Otherwise, the QB on an INT should walk off the field, as well as a punter after he kicks the ball.— beren682 - I hope your new proposed rule changes fail, most of them are a joke...— phigglesfan75
- I agree wit fan72. Your either a football player or your not.— Joe at the shore
- Launching yourself like a missile is not tackling. None of the players in the NFL ever tackle properly. I nearly choked when one of the announcers in the players commended Ed Reed for a perfect form tackle...while he was staring at the grass.
- Rule #1: Settle the damn labor dispute.— P-Dub 11
- Glare at the ball handler and they can then fall down, now you can't hit a quarterback on an interception? so he should not be allowed to try and tackle then— faf72
- I agree with Mike in LA. It's pretty clear: the NFL has jumped the shark! What the hell is this now? No tackling receivers until they start running away from you? HAHA awesome!— sla6yer
- Can't touch Peyton with a finger, but you can deck Michael.....hmmmm, sounds like the rules make sense but he REF's don't.....— nuggett
- Make all the rules you want, but the interpretation on the field is the key. If Peyton Manning has his helmet touched by a lineman's finger and a 15 yard flag is thrown the league will continue to bleed fans.— Mike in LA
- Make all the rules you want, but the interpretation on the field is the key. If Peyton Manning has his helmet touched by a lineman's finger and a 15 yard flag is thrown the league will continue to bleed fans.— Mike in LA
Rule proposal #4: no tackling. The NFL will move to 2 hand touch rules.
