What NFL rules changes would you like to see?

[GoBills808]

1 hour ago, Draconator said:

Make roughing the passer calls an automatic video review. 

get rid of video review all together

 

 

[Logic]

The major one I want to see changed -- which has already been mentioned to some degree in this thread -- is defensive pass interference.

It should result in a either a 15 yard penalty, or a spot foul if the penalty occurred less than 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, and an automatic 1st down.

The idea that there should exist any possibility for, say, a 43 yard penalty is ridiculous. The fact that it has become an actual STRATEGY to heave an underthrown 50/50 ball and instruct the WR to run back toward the LOS through the defender, who has no realistic possibility of avoiding the WR, is ridiculous.

Get this nonsense out of the game. 15 yards max, automatic 1st down. Simple. If they're REALLY concerned that defenders are just going to purposely tackle WRs to prevent long ball completions, then have there be an "incidental" PI that results in 15 yards (this would cover most instances of it) and an "intentional/blatant" PI that results in a full spot foul, just like it does now. This is a less-than-ideal option because it leaves too much room for referee judgement to decide the level of foul. But if that's the only counter-argument people have -- "The defender will just tackle the WR" -- then do it this way. It would still be better than what we have now.

[Charles Romes]

I’d like them to expand out the landing zone for the new kickoff rule from the current “goal line to 20” to a new larger zone encompassing the “goal line to 35”. This would set the stage for a modern version of the onside kick where kickers could try all sorts of soccer style kicks that hit the ground first and are fair game after that.  The original onside kick rule from about 1905 was a line of scrimmage regular down play where you could kick the ball down field and it was a free ball when it landed.  This would bring the new rule in line with the earliest onside kick rule. It would also draw many people - players and fans - from soccer into the game. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 hour ago, skibum said:

Games would take nine hours. I would much rather they did away with challenges altogether, and just let bad calls become part of the game again. 

Know they wouldn't. You just limit the challenges to 2 per coach. 

Defenseless receiver.  I am all for protecting players. But all too often the defender does everything correctly only for the receiver to change their position at the last moment and thus the contact point. As long as the defender doesn't launch themselves and if the receiver changes head position after the defender initiates the tackle then it should be ruled incidental contact to head nexk area. Game is too fast for the defenders to change their attack point. 

[Gleeb]

Get rid of incomplete passes.  If the ball stays in bounds, the ball is live until someone is tackled with it in possession.  I can even hit the ground.  No more, what's a catch, what's not a catch.  Won't matter.

[Blainorama5]

Bills win all their games ... automatically!

[Alphadawg7]

Get rid of Sudden Death OT all together.
 

Give each squad the ball on the 50.  No XP allowed in OT, only 2 point conversions.  Play it like college each team gets the ball until the game is no longer tied after equal possessions.  

[MJS]

55 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Get rid of Sudden Death OT all together.
 

Give each squad the ball on the 50.  No XP allowed in OT, only 2 point conversions.  Play it like college each team gets the ball until the game is no longer tied after equal possessions.  

I hate college overtime rules, personally. They should keep overtime rules the same, in my opinion.

[MJS]

11 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

-Defensive holding and illegal contact is ten yards but not an automatic first down.  

So, if it is 3rd and 11+, why would the defenders not grab and hold every single receiver on the field? There has to be a mechanism to prevent busted plays like that. There should at least be a penalty of yardage and repeat the down if there is holding, DPI, or illegal contact. I agree that giving an automatic first down sucks.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

4 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

They already did this…it’s called RUGBY.  
 

That’s not bringing back defense, that’s eliminating passing offense.  Defenders would just tackle all receivers before catching the ball for a 0% completion rate.  
 

So yeah, you need to rethink the absurdity of the extreme this suggestion is or just watch Rugby.
 

I get wanting defense to matter more, a concept I agree with, but it’s impossible to play football without some form of PI enforcement unless you want to get rid of QBs and just make this a run game only sport mostly - just like Rugby.

Let's work this out then. How do you eliminate the modern concept of PI without fundamentally change the game? I'd say my minimum position would be to make it a 5 yarder, replay the down

 

[Alphadawg7]

Just now, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Let's work this out then. How do you eliminate the modern concept of PI without fundamentally change the game? I'd say my minimum position would be to make it a 5 yarder, replay the down

 

 

While I agree that there could be some adjustments made, its a very challenging problem to deal with.  What you don't want to do is make it worth it for DB's to just tackle or blatantly commit PI on every deep throw because the penalty is far less severe than the catch being made would be.  It would completely eliminate deep ball throwing as a DB would just grab any WR starting to run by them rather than get beat for a TD or just severely interfere on what looks to be a sure catch if not.  

 

On the flip side, you don't want it to be something so easily exploited by a QB to bail a team out by heaving a ball down field to try and get PI called.  

 

To me, there is one BIG culprit in this regard, and that is the PI that is called when a ball is short and the defender is in the path of the WR trying to reach back or jump back towards the ball.  And quite honestly that is the MOST exploited play from an offensive point of view.  QB's know that if they throw behind the WR and DB that PI is highly more likely unless the DB gets their head around on a throw they don't even know is coming or coming short.  Result is incidental contact by the DB who has forward momentum running while a WR is reaching back or trying to jump up and reach back to get the ball.  To no fault of the DB, it causes contact that creates an automatic PI call unless he managed to time it perfect and get his head around to make a play on the ball, something very difficult to know and do as they most often don't know the ball is there or short.  

 

So that is where I would start.  I would eliminate automatic PI calls where a downfield WR makes contact with the DB trying to come back for the ball.  I would only allow PI to be called there if the DB intentionally holds, tackles, etc, and not throw a flag because the DB and WR incidentally collide because the ball is short of the WR and he is trying to reach back for the ball.  

 

You take that out, and downfield PI calls will go way down.  You could also make the PI call at the spot of the foul, or 20 yards, which ever is less.  5 yards is wayyyyy too little and so is 10 yards to discourage blatant PI on deeper throws.  Im not sure you need to change it being at the spot of the foul if you take away the cheep PI calls which are the ones thrown behind the DB and WR and get called because of the incidental contact.

[Doc Brown]

53 minutes ago, MJS said:

So, if it is 3rd and 11+, why would the defenders not grab and hold every single receiver on the field? There has to be a mechanism to prevent busted plays like that. There should at least be a penalty of yardage and repeat the down if there is holding, DPI, or illegal contact. I agree that giving an automatic first down sucks.

Because it would then be 3rd and 1.

[MJS]

16 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Because it would then be 3rd and 1.

It would be 4th and 1 unless they allow a repeat on the down.

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, boco357 said:

Getting rid of coin toss and home team can decide if want ball or defer.

 

You know I've always thought this is how it should be in the playoffs. Make it true of the OT coin toss too. Make a higher seed that much more valuable.

[stevestojan]

You can have two forward passes on ONE play per game. 

[Just Jack]

For offensive penalties, the defense gets to pick whether it will be for loss of yards or loss of down.  

 

It's 3rd and 7.  Offense causes a penalty which normally would push them back 5 yards, making it 3rd and 12.  But if you let the defense choose, then it could be 4th and 7 or 3rd and 12.  Which would you choose, making them punt or try for a field goal on 4th down, or push them back to a long 3rd down?  

[Jauronimo]

Most of the ideas in this thread are alarmingly bad.

[DeepPass]

11 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

There are a lot of rules that can be tweaked, improved, eliminated ect.

 

The one thing I would change when it comes to rules is the enforcement of the rules themselves. Many of the rules are subjective and depend on the judgement call of the refs. And I get the "human element" of it all and that they can only see what they see. They have to see it in real time and at real speed with 1,000, things happening all around them. It's a much tougher job than Joe Fan wants to admit. However, in a day where the NFL fines players every week for miniscule things such as blocking...the errors made weekly by the officials go by without them being held accountable.

 

But we do have the technology now to assist them. And that's what I think they should do. There should be an Electric Official assigned every game to call obvious penalties, overrule the bad calls and things like that.

 

Furthermore, when there is a replay I wish the NFL would do what the XFL (or maybe it was one of the other "spring leagues" did...they all kinda blend together) and show the replay official in the booth with live audio so we can hear what they are doing/saying in the review process. 

I agree with all your comments.  Especially the replay official in the booth used by the UFL today.

[Doc Brown]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

It would be 4th and 1 unless they allow a repeat on the down.

I forgot to put repeat of down in there as I just assumed people would assume that if that makes any sense.

[Jauronimo]

The game should not be bound by time.  The match should continue until one side concedes victory.  Its how football was played originally and it still works in Test Cricket.