Tag: NFL rule changes

Are new NFL rule changes coming to college football? Don’t be surprised

How long will it be until college football falls in line with the NFL in terms of kickoff formats and hip-drop tackles?

The current hot topic in the world of sports is the recent rule changes approved by the National Football League earlier this week at the owners meetings.

Starting in 2024, the league is banning the hip-drop tackle, in which a player uses his weight to bring the ball carrier down to the ground by his waist. The NFL is also overhauling the kickoff format, adopting an XFL variation.

Kickers will continue to kick from the 35-yard line, but the other 10 players on the kicking team will line up at the opponent’s 40-yard line. At least nine members of the return team will line up in the setup zone between their own 30- and 35-yard lines. Up to two returners will line up in the landing zone, which is between the goal line and 20-yard line.

Here’s a diagram to help you visualize the NFL’s new kickoff play:

While this is obviously an NFL topic, it isn’t hard to see a future where these changes trickle down to the college level. Earlier this week, I talked on the “Sco-ing Long” podcast with my co-host Jonathan Stewart, an Oregon legend and former Pro Bowl running back with the Carolina Panthers, to get his take on the changes.

“First of all, I understand. But, what are we doing here? Are we becoming the XFL?” Stewart said. “I understand it from the standpoint that there was this dead product on the field in kickoff returns. Everyone was kicking it out of the end zone. The problem with that is it’s now going to be harder for the kickoff unit to stop the kickoff return. It should be hard to get first downs. It should be hard to get yards. It should be hard to score points. Now you’re taking the element of defense out of the game.”

Ultimately, we are likely to see an uptick in production from an offensive perspective, not only due to the kickoff rules leading to better field position, but because of the banning of the hip-drop tackle that led to injuries over the years.

Personally, I don’t know that this is a bad thing, because kickoffs did become irrelevant over the years. It was a touchback every time, which led to viewers tuning out after a touchdown and going to get refreshments or use the restroom. I don’t know that I’m completely against this. It’s going to take a little bit to get used to the look of it and to see where these guys are lining up now, but the end product may see a marked improvement.

If we see that improvement at the NFL level, how long until we see the changes at the college level?

“If this sticks around for 2-3 years in the NFL, I can definitely see it transferring,” Stewart said.

For those who aren’t excited by the potential change, I don’t think you have anything to worry about for the next couple of years. At this point, it feels like the world of college football has enough going on, from name, image, and likeness, the transfer portal, and conference realignment, to an ever-expanding College Football Playoff. The bandwidth simply may not exist currently to put these new rules into place in due time.

A few years down the road, though? Things may look different.

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Eagles petition the NFL to reconsider adopting the XFL’s exciting alternative to onside kicks

Philadelphia is trying to open the door for wild comebacks like we’ve seen in the XFL.

One of the most polarizing experimental rules in the XFL could (potentially) be making its way to the NFL.

On Monday, the Eagles proposed a rule change that would implement the spring football league’s onside kick alternative, which allows teams to attempt a fourth and 15 to retain possession of the ball as opposed to kicking an onside kick, which has a very low rate of success when the other team is expecting it.

The proposal made by Philadelphia would tweak the XFL rule slightly, requiring teams to convert a 4th and 20 from the kicking team’s 20-yard line. Given the upgrade in talent, extending the distance by five yards (if not more) makes a good deal of sense.

The rule would almost certainly have its detractors, but it would undoubtedly make the games more exciting and would make them much more conducive to large comebacks.

This has been demonstrated already in the XFL. The best example came back on Feb. 19, when the rule allowed the St. Louis BattleHawks to erase a 15-3 deficit against the San Antonio Brahmas with just 1:25 to play, ultimately winning 18-15.

This isn’t the first time the NFL has considered such a rule change. The league met to discuss introducing a 4th and 15 alternative before the 2020 season, but the owners chose to table that discussion without ruling out a change in the future.

Now, that time may be coming, and Philadelphia is putting itself squarely on the “pro-fun” side of the discussion.

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NFL owners approve these new rules and changes for 2020 season

New rules and bylaws in NFL were approved for 2020 season.

On Thursday, NFL owners met and approved via vote new playing rules and bylaws for the 2020 NFL season.

New Rules for 2020 NFL season:

  • A bylaw change increased the number of players who could return for injured reserve from two to three per team.
  • Made permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any successful or unsuccessful point-after-try attempt.
  • Teams are prevented from manipulating the game clock by committing multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running. The rule will eliminate the ability for teams to drain clock while in punt formation with more than 5 minutes remaining on the game clock, which became more prevalent this past year.
  • Expanded defenseless player protection to a kickoff or punt returner who is in possession of the ball but who has not had time to avoid or ward off the impending contact of an opponent.

While these were given the thumbs up, a few other notable proposals were tabled. Those included the much talked about fourth-and-15 onside kick proposal and the sky judge proposal.

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Report: NFL to eliminate pass interference challenges for 2020

After a year of testing out challenging pass interference calls, the results were terrible and have the NFL rule change up for elimination

After an officiating error failed to call pass interference in the final minute of the 2018 NFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, the NFL looked to correct the problem for the future. Starting in the 2019 season, the league allowed coaches to challenge possible pass interference. However, it didn’t take long for that to be proven as a waste of everyone’s time.

Through the first nine weeks of the season, nearly 91% of all pass interference calls had been upheld, with just five being overturned in challenges. Though the percentage got better over the final weeks of the season (finishing with 24-of-101 being reversed), the damage had already been done. With such an awful rate and the bad publicity that came with it, it looks like pass interference challenges will not be back in 2020.

When teams were surveyed about the rule change, an overwhelming number didn’t think the rule should come back for next season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Baltimore Ravens weren’t immune to the issue either. Following an official calling pass interference against safety Tony Jefferson in the Ravens’ Week 3 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, Harbaugh didn’t throw the challenge flag. When asked about not using the rule, Harbaugh said it would have been a waste of a timeout.

“Unless it’s going to get overturned, and we have enough information now to know it’s not going to get overturned. It would have been a wasted challenge, 100 percent proven by the record to date.”

Though Harbaugh didn’t like the rule change, he did throw the challenge flag three times last season. Not a single one was overturned, according to Pro Football Reference.

Teams have proposed massive changes to the NFL’s officiating crew after what was widely considered a poor season. What those end up being and how it ultimately affects the league’s stance on pass interference challenges will have to be seen. But given the disdain shown by coaches like Harbaugh, it seems unlikely we’ll see the rule return next season.

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Ravens and Chargers propose 2 new changes to NFL officiating crews

The Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers would like to see two more officials added to NFL games to help make sure the calls are right.

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to make the NFL just a little bit better. This offseason, the Ravens offered up two proposals to alter the officiating that will be considered and voted on during the NFL’s Annual Meeting later in March.

Both Baltimore and the Los Angeles Chargers proposed adding a “booth umpire” and a “senior technology advisor” to every game in an effort to provide better officiating.

Considering the NFL’s public issues with in-game calls and replays, it seems like an easy decision to make. The more officials, especially up in the booth and on replays, the more chances officials have to get calls right in the moment.

This isn’t the first time the Ravens have brought up the idea of adding more officials. Harbaugh publicly called for an extra one or two officials and expanded replays, according to NFL.com, to make sure the right calls are made and replays accurately fix any missed or incorrect calls.

If we can put somebody up there in the box that’s got a better angle that can help officiate the game from up there, let’s do that. If we can add more plays into replay, let’s do that. Because at the end of the game it’s about the credibility of the sport, and we can’t have the other leagues out-pacing us in terms of the use of technology to make sure the games are fair and well-officiated.

We have great officials. These guys are incredible at what they do. We’ve also put a lot of rules in place that have made it really tough on them. They’ve got a lot on their plate, so let’s add an official, let’s add two officials, let’s put one up in the box, let’s expand replay if we want, and let’s make sure at the end of the day the fans walk out of the stadium and walk away from the TV sets knowing that was a good, hard-fought, well-played, fairly officiated game, and the outcome is as it should be. That it was correct and the right team won the game.

This also isn’t the only potential changes coming to the officiating crews as early as next season. The NFL has already begun changing the leadership at the top of their officiating department, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

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Pete Carroll believes all 53 players should be active on gameday

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll lamented the NFL’s rule that only 46 of the team’s 53 players can be active on game day.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider both strongly oppose the NFL’s rule that requires teams to make seven players inactive on game day.

Carroll feels that, as long as all 53 players on the roster are getting paid, they should be allowed to help the team each week – especially as the season goes on and players are consistently forced to suit up while dealing with injuries.

“I just don’t understand,” Carroll lamented on Saturday. “I just don’t get it. I just wish we would have all these guys available and they would help us this time of year, they would take plays off of guys, and they’d be healthier. There are some arguments that are kind of old arguments. I’ll always keep clamoring for that. I think it’s the right thing for the players, mostly. That’s what we should be considering. We’re paying them anyway. They’re all getting paid. I don’t understand it.”

Carroll went on to say he doesn’t really understand why the league hasn’t changed this rule, but that he believes it has to do with teams having injured players, which would give them less players than the opposing team.

However, Carroll believes a simple solution would be allowing players to be activated off the practice squad in place of injured players, which still allows each team to have 53 active each week.

“You can take guys off the practice squad, too, which would be great for those guys,” Carroll continued. “It would be the best thing that could ever happen for those guys. If you want to solve the problem, you solve the problem from my perspective. I don’t get what their perspective is, and I respect that.”

The league evaluates rule changes every year, and fans can bet Carroll, Schneider and many others around the league will clamor for a bigger active roster starting in 2020.

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