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Competition Committee To Propose Rules Changes At NFL Owners' Meeting
by Jeff Harding, Packers.com
posted 03/21/2007
As part of a three-day annual meeting, the owners from each NFL team, along with first-year Commissioner Roger Goodell, will gather in Phoenix on Monday to discuss the state of the game and how they can improve it, including several rules changes to be recommended by the Competition Committee.
"We feel comfortable that the game is extremely competitive," Atlanta Falcons president/general manager and Competition Committee co-chairman Rich McKay said. "Since we went to the eight divisions of four teams a number of years back, we now have had 27 of the 32 teams qualify for the playoffs in that time period. We've also had 22 different divisional title winners, so we feel very good about where the game is from the standpoint of competitiveness, top to bottom.
"The key stats this year also were good in the sense that time of game was down to 3:04:07. That's basically three minutes less than the year before and obviously we like that. That's good for the game, good for the pace of the game and good for the fans. Plays per game, at the same token, were only down ever so slightly. It's down to 152.50 plays per game compared to the year before when it was 152.75. So really we were able to reduce game time without reducing plays, which is a positive."
McKay, in a conference call on Wednesday, explained a few of the changes the committee plans to propose to the owners next week:
Instant replay:
"This year we will propose that instant replay be adopted as a permanent rule. It has two years remaining on the current rule. We'll propose it as a permanent rule and at the same time we'll propose that we buy and refurbish all of our instant replay equipment at all of our stadiums and convert them to high definition.
"Instant replay has been an accepted part of our game now for a number of years and has worked quite well. College has gone to an instant replay system so we feel like now is the perfect time to go on a permanent basis."
Overtime kickoffs moved from 30 to 35 yard line:
"The rationale for moving the kickoff position in overtime is to take away the advantage that has now shown up for the team that wins the coin toss. The field position has obviously helped them in winning games. It doesn't mean that they are going to score on their first possession, because those numbers, although they are up, are not wildly up. But what has happened is that that field position has carried the day in some way, shape or form because the teams that are winning the toss are winning approximately 62 percent of the time."
5-yard penalty for spiking the ball while on the field of play:
"This is an issue that has really shown itself in the last two years. It seemed like every play, whether it was a 3-yard gain or a 15-yard gain, resulted in a player spiking the ball, the ball bouncing 15 yards away and the official having to go run it down. We don't think it's good for sportsmanship, we don't think it's good for administration, so we will propose a 5-yard penalty for that. If the result of the play is a first down, the team will still have first-and-10, but they will lose the five yards."
Revision in injury reporting system:
"We think the system needs some tweaking as it is now. We report to the media and everyone else on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (when a game falls on Sunday) by putting players in categories -- probable, questionable, doubtful or out.
"We propose that on Wednesday and Thursday it be limited to actual practice reporting, where we detail the players that have full participation, have limited participation, have no participation or are they out. We'll do that on Wednesday and Thursday and do the same thing on Friday, but we then will categorize players as to where the coaches think they will be with respect to the game, using the same categories (or some slight modifications to those categories already in place) on Fridays."
Location of umpire moved to offensive side of ball:
"We think it is something that we need to look at long term. We would experiment with it in NFL Europa and in the first two preseason games. You would see the umpire behind the offensive line, positioned opposite the referee. We think it's something that we need to look at from a safety standpoint and an operational standpoint."
Coach-to-defense communication:
"We will propose that there be a communication device in the helmet of one player on the defensive side of the ball, just as there is with each quarterback. We just think it's fair and we now have the technology to do it. Each team would designate their own player. If that player is injured during the game, the team then would be forced to go back to the old way of communicating, which is to use hand signals."
Kicking ball to undergo longer preparation time:
"Just to make sure that there is no perception that we are not doing everything that we can to make sure that people feel comfortable that the balls that are being played with in the games are appropriate, we will propose that the period for rubbing down the balls and getting the balls prepared for kicking be expanded from 20 to 45 minutes during pregame. It still will be done by the same people that have done it forever, which are the ball boys. Each team is allowed to send one person in and get the balls prepared.
"The other thing we are going to try to do is to have the footballs numbered so that we can have the balls sequentially used. In other words, we will use kicking ball number one until it is no longer available and then go to kicking ball number two. We're trying to give the kickers a little more comfort that the balls that they are kicking in the game have been kicked before and have been appropriately prepared."
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Additionally, McKay said that the players' personal conduct policy will be a hot topic of discussion next week:
"I think the players were very interested, as was the players' union, in pursuing a modification to our current policy," he said. "I think we're all concerned with the things that go on off the field and how the actions of a few may have effects on many. We don't like that, so I do expect something...What it will be, I really don't know. I'm going to be very interested to hear."
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The owners also will hear from a few individual teams that have rules changes to propose:
Under Review:
Tampa Bay will propose that all penalties be subject to review, with exception of offensive holding.
Let Go:
The 49ers have proposed that defensive pass interference penalties be closer in line with the college rule, in that it would be a maximum of 15 yards for a minor pass interference penalty. A major interference penalty would continue to be a spot foul.
Help Wanted:
The Bears propose to increase the Gameday roster from 45 players to 47. |
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