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The NFL announced today that it has approved the following changes. (My own notes/commentary appear after each rule, which are all in bold):
--Eliminates the crowd noise procedure in the rulebook. With the advent of silent counts on offense, the league will no longer allow for stoppage of play due to excessive crowd noise.
This is really just officially eliminating a rule that was not being enforced anyway. It was enforced years ago, but definitely abused by visiting teams. It was a stupid rule anyway. It hurt home teams with big stadiums/loud crowds, like Buffalo.
--Makes spiking or throwing the ball after a play a five-yard penalty. This does not apply to out-of-bounds or end-zone spiking.
Rich McKay had an awesome and funny quote on this. He said: ``We were having celebrations on a three-yard slant play, where the receiver decided to get up and throw the ball 30 yards downfield in celebration of this great achievement.''
I agree - it was getting out of hand. But it did make for some stupid plays. Remember Plaxico Burress? What a dumbass.
--Permanently expands reviewable plays to include down by contact, and permanently reduces maximum length of officials’ review to 60 seconds.
I'm confused on this because normally, if a player is ruled "down by contact," the whistle blows - ending the play anyway. That can't change. Once the whistle blows the play is over. So, refs will really have to be careful to let the play play out, even if they rule the player "down by contact."
--Makes a block below the waist by an eligible receiver while the quarterback is in the pocket a 15-yard penalty instead of a 5-yard penalty.
I don't see this hapen all that often anyway. But anything to protect players from stupid stuff like this is fine with me.
--Eliminates the foul for unintentional touching of a forward pass by an interior lineman.
So, if JP throws a screen pass and Derrick Dockery gets in the way too early and the ball hits him, there is no penalty. That wasn't the case before. However, if Dockery actually tries to catch the pass, the flag will fly.
This rule change makes it the same as the college rule now.
--A defensive player is allowed to extend his hands after a quarterback releases the ball. In the past a defender was called for roughing the passer if he pushed the quarterback after the ball was passed.
Good rule change - but let's face it: until refs start getting more consistent in their calling of "roughing the passer," we'll all still be screaming at our TV's every Sunday.......and players will still be confused as to what goes and what doesn't.
--Kicking balls can be rubbed down prior to the game for 45 minutes, up from 20 minutes in the past. Kicking balls will be numbered from 1-12, and the No. 1 ball will be used for the entire game in kicking situations, or until that ball is lost or unusable.
Haha. Kickers can't use the excuse that they had a different ball late in the game anymore and that it cost them or the holder. They could do that before, because any of the balls could be used.
As far as rubbing balls down for 20 minutes........no comment.
--The league also will adopt a new injury-report system, with the old probable, questionable, doubtful and out categories -- previously released Wednesdays -- moved to Fridays. In their place will be a practice report that will state whether players were available for full, limited or no participation.
Bettors everywhere are pissed.
But at least Belichick can't list Tom Brady as "questionable" every week anymore just because he hurt his big toe stepping on a sex toy his newest supermodel girlfriend forgot to put back in the drawer.
--Approved a second window of interviews for assistant coaches on teams in the Super Bowl.
They're calling it the "Ron Rivera Rule." He was basically penalized for having to wait when he was allegedly up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' job.
However, The rule applies only to coaches who were up for jobs in the first window of interviews during the week after the regular season ends.
--The goal line no longer extends "around the world." The BALL must not only break the plane of the goal line to be a TD, it must now also touch at least a piece of the pylon (even if it is "touching" it in the air).
Okay, remember the Michael Vick dive-for-TD two years ago, when he extended his body over the goal line, but the ball never actually crossed? The ball was in his outside hand and was out-of-bounds all the way through the goal line, never actually going over the pylon in the air. That was a legitimate touchdown under the old rule. It will no longer be under the new rule.
For a better understanding, think of it the same way as a baseball which hits in fair territory, but then lands foul behind first base. If it actually crossed over 1B in the air, it is fair (a TD). If not, it is foul (no TD).
--Eliminates the crowd noise procedure in the rulebook. With the advent of silent counts on offense, the league will no longer allow for stoppage of play due to excessive crowd noise.
This is really just officially eliminating a rule that was not being enforced anyway. It was enforced years ago, but definitely abused by visiting teams. It was a stupid rule anyway. It hurt home teams with big stadiums/loud crowds, like Buffalo.
--Makes spiking or throwing the ball after a play a five-yard penalty. This does not apply to out-of-bounds or end-zone spiking.
Rich McKay had an awesome and funny quote on this. He said: ``We were having celebrations on a three-yard slant play, where the receiver decided to get up and throw the ball 30 yards downfield in celebration of this great achievement.''
I agree - it was getting out of hand. But it did make for some stupid plays. Remember Plaxico Burress? What a dumbass.
--Permanently expands reviewable plays to include down by contact, and permanently reduces maximum length of officials’ review to 60 seconds.
I'm confused on this because normally, if a player is ruled "down by contact," the whistle blows - ending the play anyway. That can't change. Once the whistle blows the play is over. So, refs will really have to be careful to let the play play out, even if they rule the player "down by contact."
--Makes a block below the waist by an eligible receiver while the quarterback is in the pocket a 15-yard penalty instead of a 5-yard penalty.
I don't see this hapen all that often anyway. But anything to protect players from stupid stuff like this is fine with me.
--Eliminates the foul for unintentional touching of a forward pass by an interior lineman.
So, if JP throws a screen pass and Derrick Dockery gets in the way too early and the ball hits him, there is no penalty. That wasn't the case before. However, if Dockery actually tries to catch the pass, the flag will fly.
This rule change makes it the same as the college rule now.
--A defensive player is allowed to extend his hands after a quarterback releases the ball. In the past a defender was called for roughing the passer if he pushed the quarterback after the ball was passed.
Good rule change - but let's face it: until refs start getting more consistent in their calling of "roughing the passer," we'll all still be screaming at our TV's every Sunday.......and players will still be confused as to what goes and what doesn't.
--Kicking balls can be rubbed down prior to the game for 45 minutes, up from 20 minutes in the past. Kicking balls will be numbered from 1-12, and the No. 1 ball will be used for the entire game in kicking situations, or until that ball is lost or unusable.
Haha. Kickers can't use the excuse that they had a different ball late in the game anymore and that it cost them or the holder. They could do that before, because any of the balls could be used.
As far as rubbing balls down for 20 minutes........no comment.
--The league also will adopt a new injury-report system, with the old probable, questionable, doubtful and out categories -- previously released Wednesdays -- moved to Fridays. In their place will be a practice report that will state whether players were available for full, limited or no participation.
Bettors everywhere are pissed.
But at least Belichick can't list Tom Brady as "questionable" every week anymore just because he hurt his big toe stepping on a sex toy his newest supermodel girlfriend forgot to put back in the drawer.
--Approved a second window of interviews for assistant coaches on teams in the Super Bowl.
They're calling it the "Ron Rivera Rule." He was basically penalized for having to wait when he was allegedly up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' job.
However, The rule applies only to coaches who were up for jobs in the first window of interviews during the week after the regular season ends.
--The goal line no longer extends "around the world." The BALL must not only break the plane of the goal line to be a TD, it must now also touch at least a piece of the pylon (even if it is "touching" it in the air).
Okay, remember the Michael Vick dive-for-TD two years ago, when he extended his body over the goal line, but the ball never actually crossed? The ball was in his outside hand and was out-of-bounds all the way through the goal line, never actually going over the pylon in the air. That was a legitimate touchdown under the old rule. It will no longer be under the new rule.
For a better understanding, think of it the same way as a baseball which hits in fair territory, but then lands foul behind first base. If it actually crossed over 1B in the air, it is fair (a TD). If not, it is foul (no TD).
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