NFL Rule Change Proposals

[Chiefnj2]

The following plan to be discussed next week:

1. Playoff Seeding. Each of the four division winners in each conference would earn postseason berths, but only the two division winners in each conference with the best records would get automatic home games. The division winners with the lower two records, plus the two wild-card teams, would compete for seeds three through six based on record.

- I like that.

2. Owners will vote on proposals to eliminate the force-out of a receiver, similar to the college game; it was called 15 times last season. And a force-out would be called only if a defender picked up an offensive player and carried him out of bounds.

- I'd vote to keep it the same.

3. The committee is proposing to include field goals in instant replay review.

- Is this really necessary?

4. Give teams the option of deferring to receive the ball in the second half on the coin toss.

- I don't care.

5. Eliminate the 5-yard minor face mask penalty, covering all facemask violations - twisting, turning or pulling - with a 15-yard penalty.

- I don't like. There are some unintentional non-flagrant face mask grabbing where players let go quickly.

Also there is the "Chiefs Whine Like Babies Rule to be considered":

"The committee wants to create a five- to seven-day dead period before the start of veteran free agency during which certified agents can negotiate but not sign contracts for their clients.

There would be no player visit or contact allowed with prospective new teams. The Kansas City Chiefs, among others, have complained that other teams have had contact with prospective free agents prior to the signing period."

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Psyko Tek

hell do away with all kickers
no punting, no field goals

make every series a four down situation

Brilliant when the Chiefs MVP is a Punter! What are you guys thinking?

[a1na2]

The rule changes I'd be interested in seeing would have to do with instant replays.

If the officials on the field missed it the first time they may be inclined to be more critical of what it might take to overturn the play. In saying that I feel that the officials in the booth, who I think are senior officials and those that are well versed in the rules, should do the review and tell the officials on the field what the decision is.

I also think that limiting the replays for the bench is wrong. If a play is botched by the officials the teams should not suffer. I know the time issue is what they are concerned with but it doesn't bother me if a game lasts 3 hours or 5 hours, I like watching football.

[morphius]

Originally Posted by noa

I really hope one day they change the rules to create a review official so you don't have the guy on the field going to the booth to make the decision. That just wastes time.

Yup, this has always been a pet peeve of mine. What a waste of time the current review system is. I know they want the head guy on the field to be responsible for everything, but damn, talk about bringing a game to a complete halt. It is odd that Hockey has no issue with leaving it to a couple people up in the box, but in the NFL they have to wait for the guys up in the booth to pick the best angles for the head ref to see so that he is only under the hood for X seconds. When in that amount of time they could have already decided.

[DTLB58]

Clayton was just on NFL Live and said he thought the re-seeding of the playoff teams will NOT happen. Mentioned all four AFC North teams are against it plus the Donkies.

He thinks the 5 yard face mask penalty will go away and they will all be 15 yarders.

[stlchiefs]

Originally Posted by DTLB58

He thinks the 5 yard face mask penalty will go away and they will all be 15 yarders.

WEAK. There are some that are just not worth a penalty, let alone a 15 yarder.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by stlchiefs

WEAK. There are some (face masks) that are just not worth a penalty, let alone a 15 yarder.

Agreed. And if they're all 15 yarders, there's no incentive to let go and hope for the incidental call.

If you accidentally get some mask, grab on and rip the guy's head off.

[StcChief]

Originally Posted by Psyko Tek

hell do away with all kickers
no punting, no field goals

make every series a four down situation

let's take the 'FOOT' outta Football.

[Rain Man]

Which of these passed?

And by the way, I like the Chiefs' proposal. You know that tampering is going on. Why not cool it down a little bit so the player tells the agent, "Y'know, while we're waiting, why don't we schedule a trip to [insert city here] just to see what they have to say."

And on the force-out, let's think outside the box and not have any kind of force outs. Wherever the ball carrier hits ground, that's the outcome. If a defender wants to catch him in mid-air and try to carry him from the hash marks, go for it, and it's up to the offensive linemen to hustle down and knock them down. That would add some fun.

As a bit of trivia, in the days of primordial football, a "touchdown" was called that because the ball had to be touched down in the end zone. That's why you see those old films of players running into the end zone and then bending over and touching the ball to the turf. The rule was that if a tackler was on the guy as he went in, the play wasn't over until the ballcarrier touched the ball to the turf. At that point, the tackler could still prevent a touchdown, and the rule was that only the guys who were touching him when he entered the end zone could keep fighting to prevent the touchdown. (I'm not sure how the defensive player won. I think it was if the ball carrier finally conceded.)

Apparently, this rule came into question at one point when a ball carrier went in and landed on his back with the ball on his chest. A larger defender (or maybe two) was on top of him, and they battled for some inordinate amount of time (30+ minutes if I remember right) in which the ball carrier was pinned and couldn't touch the ball down, and yet wouldn't concede.

[DTLB58]

Originally Posted by stlchiefs

WEAK. There are some that are just not worth a penalty, let alone a 15 yarder.

I agree

[Adept Havelock]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

I think they should bring back the Drop Kick...

1) Playoff format, I like it..as long as division games plays a role in tie-breakers.

2) Keep the force-out rule.

3) I'm OK with allowing replay on FG. I really like stlchiefs notion of a laser on the goalpost.

4) Indifferent

5) Keep the face-mask rules the way they are.

6) I'm OK with the "Chiefs Whine" rule.

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

I think they should bring back the Drop Kick...

Only if they bring back the original Flying Wedge as well.

[KurtCobain]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

As a bit of trivia, in the days of primordial football, a "touchdown" was called that because the ball had to be touched down in the end zone. That's why you see those old films of players running into the end zone and then bending over and touching the ball to the turf. The rule was that if a tackler was on the guy as he went in, the play wasn't over until the ballcarrier touched the ball to the turf. At that point, the tackler could still prevent a touchdown, and the rule was that only the guys who were touching him when he entered the end zone could keep fighting to prevent the touchdown. (I'm not sure how the defensive player won. I think it was if the ball carrier finally conceded.)

Apparently, this rule came into question at one point when a ball carrier went in and landed on his back with the ball on his chest. A larger defender (or maybe two) was on top of him, and they battled for some inordinate amount of time (30+ minutes if I remember right) in which the ball carrier was pinned and couldn't touch the ball down, and yet wouldn't concede.

n

[JBucc]

According to kffl, stiff arms to the face mask would also be a 15 yard penalty on the offense.

[chief52]

I am definitely in favor of changing the "force out " rule to match that of college. If the receiver goes up in the air and the DB drives him out of bounds the DB has made a great play. Reward him for it...incomplete. This takes all the judgment out of it. It is cut and dry. Land in bound...complete. Land out of bounds...incomplete.

Trying to determine where a receiver would have come down if he had not been contacted is just way to difficult and can not be reviewed because it is a judgment call. Change the rule and you could use the instant replay to determine whether is was a catch or not. Did the receiver come down in bounds or out of bounds would be the only question.

[tk13]

I still don't like the seeding rule. I know there are still injustices either way, but given the choice of which fault you're forced to take, I'd rather give the home game to a team who beat their division rivals over a wild card team who beat up a weak schedule. I'd rather the division rivalry games be more important than week 16 and 17. Unless it's something insane like the Chiefs two years ago, more people are gonna remember "Hey, remember that FG we hit against the Broncos to win the division" ten years ago over "Hey man! Remember when we won in week 16 against that NFC West team to clinch the 4 seed in the playoffs!"

[Rausch]

I understand that injuries are already a concern but the XFL kickoff was brilliant. While the presentation was garbage the NFL should have learned from the few bits of success it did have...