Other Rule Changes

[Spunkonmyback DPOY]

Along with the new OT format for playoff games, the league created a few other new rules for this upcoming season:

 

1. During a field goal or extra point attempt, the defensive team can’t position any player on the line directly across from the snapper. Previously, a player needed to have his helmet outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.

 

2. A dead ball personal foul on the final play of the second or fourth quarters will cause a 15-yard penalty on the second half or overtime kickoff. Previously in those situations, no penalty was enforced, although players subsequently could be fined by Goodell.

 

3. If a punt returner makes a fair catch signal and muffs the ball, he is entitled to “reasonable opportunity” to catch the muff before it hits the ground without interference of the coverage team. The ball will be rewarded at the spot of the interference, but there will be no penalty yardage marked off.

 

4. When a ball strikes a videoboard (as one punt did last preseason at the new Cowboys Stadium), guide wire or sky cam, the play is whistled dead and replayed. The game clock is reset to when that play started.

 

The replay judge will be allowed to initiate a review if he believes there was some sort of interference with the ball. This is the only case outside of the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters and overtime that the booth can order a replay.

 

Coaches can also challenge whether there was interference with the ball.

 

5. If the clock is stopped in the final minute of either half for a replay review, but would not have stopped without the review, officials will run off 10 seconds before resuming play. Either team could take a timeout to void the 10-second runoff.

 

 

I have never seen a LS get hurt from getting hit by a rusher, but this seems like a good rule that won't effect the game that much.

 

The second rule is a good one and can't figure out why it wouldn't have been this way from the start.

 

The third rule gives more judgement to the refs which always turns out bad. The vague wording will already make it inconsistantly called.

 

The fourth rule is a good one, but if the play clock resets to say 1 or 2 seconds when will it start running? After both teams get reset or as soon as the refs make the ruling or after the offensive huddle breaks?

 

The fifth rule is also a very bad one. Why should a team get penalized for what likely is a bad call by the ref? What if a qb fumbled the ball with 10 seconds left but the offense recovers, gets tackled, and goes in hurry up to spike the ball. The booth notices it was an obvious incompletion and bad call on the ref's part and reviews the play and overturns the refs ruling. Will 10 seconds run off and end the game? Or will the offense be given one untimed down? Even if they are a quick strike to the endzone or a short pass where the reciever can get out of bounds would certianly take less than 10 seconds. Giving the offense one untimed down would likely screw them out of another play all becuase the ref made a horrible call.

[mopaji]

The second rule was confusing at first; but what it means basically is, if the returner is juggling the ball, you can't hit him. If it hits the ground, all bets are off!

[ballpeen]

I agree on the run off of 10 seconds. A team could conceivably get a spike inside of 8-10 seconds. I think the number should be 7...7 seconds or less, game over....8....7 are run off with 1 second to play.

 

I would assume whether the clock starts on call or on snap would be under current rule so no further clarification is needed..

[ballpeen]

The second rule was confusing at first; but what it means basically is, if the returner is juggling the ball, you can't hit him. If it hits the ground, all bets are off!

 

 

Yep...and another good rule. A catch is a catch and a fumble is a fumble. Until the ball hits the ground, it isn't a fumble, thus the player making the fair catch should be allowed to complete the catch, even if it isn't pretty.

 

[Spunkonmyback DPOY]

I agree on the run off of 10 seconds. A team could conceivably get a spike inside of 8-10 seconds. I think the number should be 7...7 seconds or less, game over....8....7 are run off with 1 second to play.

 

I would assume whether the clock starts on call or on snap would be under current rule so no further clarification is needed..

The 10 second runoff only applies if the clock is ticking when the review is made. If the clock is stopped than no time is runoff. But since you can only review the previous play if a team spikes it the previous play couldn't be reviewed anyway. I just don't like that a team gets penalized either a TO or 10 seconds becuase the booth did something neither team has any control over. Not to mention reviews are most likely to happen when a ref makes a bad call,l why should teams be penalized for ref mistakes?

 

Like in my example, a team without any TO's could concievably lose a game becuase of this; even if they would get an untimed down.

[BigBrownsFan]

Yep...and another good rule. A catch is a catch and a fumble is a fumble. Until the ball hits the ground, it isn't a fumble, thus the player making the fair catch should be allowed to complete the catch, even if it isn't pretty.

 

Technically, it isnt a fumble, but rather a muff.... difference being you cannot advance a muff, but you can a fumble.