It was announced this week that Buffalo Bills returner Andre Roberts would join teammates Tre’Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds at the 2020 Pro Bowl.
Also announced this week were two potentially interesting rule changes that the league is testing out during the game, per NFL Operations.
While the Pro Bowl is the outlier for the NFL in the sense that, we love every football game played on earth except this one, these rules changes could be interesting to keep an eye on.
The first involves two options after a successful field goal or try attempt in lieu of a kickoff. The second relates to negating false starts on a flinch by a flexed receiver.
On the kick option, a team may elect to give their opponent the ball right away at the opponent’s 25-year line. Or that team can take the ball for themselves at their own 25-year line. The catch? The opponent has it on first-and-10, a fresh set of downs, while the team opting to keep it will have it on fourth-and-15. If they miss, the opponent gets it at the dead ball spot. This is a potential type of rule to replace onside kicks.
The other rule change is pretty much loosening up on false starts called on a receiver who flinches at bit at the line. That could help receivers get a bit looser going into their routes.
Here’s how the NFL explained the rules in their own words:
Here's a look at the two rule changes we'll be testing at #ProBowl 2020: https://t.co/agnWbdi5bA pic.twitter.com/lS6jAqEeL8
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 21, 2020
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