ESPN: 15 rule changes pass, 2 get voted down (defensive radio, WR movement)

[pats1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2389062

Updated: March 29, 2006, 3:49 PM ET
NFL votes to rein in TD celebrations
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Chad Johnson, Steve Smith and Terrell Owens lost a good portion of their end zone celebrations. Carson Palmer, Brian Griese and Ben Roethlisberger gained some protection for their knees. And NFL coaches gained the ability to make replay challenges on down-by-contact plays.

Here's a list of the ones that did pass:

- Limited celebration

- Replay changes

- A rushing defensive player won't be allowed to forcibly hit a quarterback below the knees.

- Centers who snap on field goals, extra points and punts can not have a defender line up directly over him.

- Expanded the definition of a horse collar tackle.

- Other little changes for safety included trying to limit the number of re-kicks by giving the kicking team more chances to take penalties after kicks.

- The owners also prohibited kicking teams from loading up one side of the field on free kicks.

- In a vote of 29-3, owners allowed teams to keep 75 instead of 65 players on their roster in the first cutdown, which is annually the Tuesday after the third preseason weekend. The trade off was the NFL Europe exemptions that allowed teams to bring more players to camp expire at that time.


• The Bucs' recommendation to include all penalties for replay review was almost unanimously defeated.

• The Chiefs proposal to expand the playoffs from 12 to 14 was tabled to May, but it doesn't have the support of Tagliabue and the Committee and is expected to fail.

The Committee also completed a six-page clarification of the writing of the holding penalties that it hopes will bring uniformity to the calls and the coaching of offensive linemen.

 

[patsfan55]

what are the replay changes being made

i know i heard something about cutting back to 90 seconds, but what else?

 

[pats1]

what are the replay changes being made

i know i heard something about cutting back to 90 seconds, but what else?

• Replay changes: Perhaps the biggest victory of the competition committee was the inclusion of down-by-contact plays on replay challenges. Last year, the Committee fell four votes short of getting down by contact plays included. This year, it passed, 27-5.

Pereira said there were 12 plays in 2005 that would have been overturned in a replay challenge on a lost fumble that was ruled down because the player had been downed after contact with a defensive player. If the defensive team wins the challenge, the ball would go to them at spot of the recovery. In 2004, about 13 change of possessions would have been made in favor of the defensive team that recovered.

One slight modification included in the rule change would shorten the time the referee has to review a play. The review time would go from 90 seconds to 60 seconds from the time the referee begins looking at the replay monitor. In reality, that's not much of a big deal. The average time an official reviews the play is one minute and seven seconds. The league is hoping to shorten the three and a half minutes of lost time during replay challenges.

 

[DaBruinz]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2389062



Here's a list of the ones that did pass:

- Limited celebration Just silly.

- Replay changes I like this one.

- A rushing defensive player won't be allowed to forcibly hit a quarterback below the knees. This one seems to call for a LOT of interpretation on the Refs part.

- Centers who snap on field goals, extra points and punts can not have a defender line up directly over him. I definitely don't understand this one. Instead of one guy directly over him, the long snapper will now have a guy on either side of him. To me, having 2 guys on him is more likely to hurt the long snapper.

- Expanded the definition of a horse collar tackle. I got no problem with this rule being expanded as long as they start calling it.

- Other little changes for safety included trying to limit the number of re-kicks by giving the kicking team more chances to take penalties after kicks. Didn't they make those changes last year?

- The owners also prohibited kicking teams from loading up one side of the field on free kicks. What is considered a "free kick?" My understanding of a "free kick" was the play that happens after a safety where the kicker has to drop kick the ball. Is that what they are referring to? Or are they referring to On-side kicks?

- In a vote of 29-3, owners allowed teams to keep 75 instead of 65 players on their roster in the first cutdown, which is annually the Tuesday after the third preseason weekend. The trade off was the NFL Europe exemptions that allowed teams to bring more players to camp expire at that time.

All this means is that there are more players available beyond the starters to play in the last pre-season game.

• The Bucs' recommendation to include all penalties for replay review was almost unanimously defeated.
I don't mind that this was defeated. Reviewing EVERY penalty is a bit much. Though, they should review pass interference calls and holding calls.

• The Chiefs proposal to expand the playoffs from 12 to 14 was tabled to May, but it doesn't have the support of Tagliabue and the Committee and is expected to fail.
I don't see what the purpose of this is other than to add another level of the play-offs. A level that isn't needed.

The Committee also completed a six-page clarification of the writing of the holding penalties that it hopes will bring uniformity to the calls and the coaching of offensive linemen.

My comments are in red.

As for the holding clarification, damn, they needed 6 pages to clarify what holding is and what it isn't?

 

[PatsRI]

Anyone see any pattern here when it comes to which side of the ball is once again helped and which side is hurt? Rodney is not going to be happy once again.

 

[DaBruinz]

Anyone see any pattern here when it comes to which side of the ball is once again helped and which side is hurt? Rodney is not going to be happy once again.

Don't know if I agree with this totally. The clarification of the holding rules as well as the review of "Down by contact" fumbles actually is a benefit to the defense.

 

[flutie2phelan]

Nothing there harmful to us.

I especially like 15 yards for touching the hem of the QB's skirt. Anything that protects #12 is welcome.

I wonder if the owners buy the line that the playoff officiating was acceptable?

 

[AzPatsFan]

Severe and lesser PI calls...

The most needed rule revision was not touched, That is the Pass Interference rule. There should be two types of pass interference penalties. just like the ftwo ace mask calls. The severe and obvious PI should be awarded at the spot of the foul, or on the one, if in the endzone and FD. The lesser and questionable PI call, should be five or ten yards, or half the distance to the goal, and a FD.

Its the arbitrary PI calls that so infuriated the fans, not any of the others...

The best safety changes they could make would be to outlaw the Alex Gibbs rollup crackback-block blocks...

 

[Pujo]

My comments are in red.

As for the holding clarification, damn, they needed 6 pages to clarify what holding is and what it isn't?

A free kick is any kick not from scrimmage. It can be a kickoff (onside or regular), safety kick (the punt that comes after a safety, which I think is the term you were looking for), or fair catch kick (which is a field goal attempt after a receiving team can elect to kick after a fair catch, in which the defense must stay 10 yards back).

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Nothing on cameras on the goal line, something BB wants?

 

[dhamz]

Don't know if I agree with this totally. The clarification of the holding rules as well as the review of "Down by contact" fumbles actually is a benefit to the defense.

Unless they changed from what they were talking about prior to the meetings, the holding clarifications were supposed to reduce the number of holding penalties called.

That in no way is going to help the defense.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

Good point about pass interference not being so much as sniffed at - and it's a game-changer, as we know from the Mile High mugging.

The clamping down on touchdown celebrations absolutely infuriates me. It's so petty. Isn't football (whisper this) a GAME?

It's also so arbitrary... why would using the ball as a prop (ILLEGAL) necessarily be any more inflamatory or taunting than doing a particularly provocative dance (LEGAL) close to a beaten defender?

And to hear Mike Pereira trying to justify it by talking about a highschool player making a throat-slitting gesture after sacking a QB is just maddening. As Rich Eisen put it, that's comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2389062



Here's a list of the ones that did pass:

- Limited celebration Works for me.

- Replay changes Big whoop.

- A rushing defensive player won't be allowed to forcibly hit a quarterback below the knees. How many times has Bruschi crawled over to the QB and twisted him down? I want to protect Tommy, but play the game at least!

- Centers who snap on field goals, extra points and punts can not have a defender line up directly over him. How many were getting hurt for goodness sakes?

- Expanded the definition of a horse collar tackle. NE voted against it, what a bunch of prissies the league is becoming.

- Other little changes for safety included trying to limit the number of re-kicks by giving the kicking team more chances to take penalties after kicks.

- The owners also prohibited kicking teams from loading up one side of the field on free kicks. Good grief.

- In a vote of 29-3, owners allowed teams to keep 75 instead of 65 players on their roster in the first cutdown, which is annually the Tuesday after the third preseason weekend. The trade off was the NFL Europe exemptions that allowed teams to bring more players to camp expire at that time.
That also works to prevent another team bringing your castoffs in for a tryout in that final game. I think I liked it better the other way.

• The Bucs' recommendation to include all penalties for replay review was almost unanimously defeated. It would slow things down, but I agree with folks who want PI and Holding to be challengable.

• The Chiefs proposal to expand the playoffs from 12 to 14 was tabled to May, but it doesn't have the support of Tagliabue and the Committee and is expected to fail. Good, giving the top seed the only bye doesn't excite me.

The Committee also completed a six-page clarification of the writing of the holding penalties that it hopes will bring uniformity to the calls and the coaching of offensive linemen. About fricking time!

1010101010

 

[QuiGon]

- Centers who snap on field goals, extra points and punts can not have a defender line up directly over him. I definitely don't understand this one. Instead of one guy directly over him, the long snapper will now have a guy on either side of him. To me, having 2 guys on him is more likely to hurt the long snapper. QUOTE]
This actually brings the NFL more in line with college football. The point is to protect against heand and neck injuries. A long-snapper is very vulnerable to being hit on the top of his head by someone lining up directly opposite him. It is better to get hit by two guys on your shoulders than one guy pushing the top of your head down into your neck.

 

[jeffro]

Anyone think that allowing challenge of down by contact seems messy? I'm picturing things getting out of control when the ball gets pulled out after a play is over and all the players ignore the whistle.

 

[Brownfan80]

Anyone think that allowing challenge of down by contact seems messy? I'm picturing things getting out of control when the ball gets pulled out after a play is over and all the players ignore the whistle.

Yeah, I'm confused by this as well.. I don't understand what is now challengeable.

When a player is down by contact, the play is over after the whistle blows. How can anything after it be reviewable? The play was over, whatever happened afterwards didn't actually exist. If the whistle blows and one guy stops, but the other doesnt how is that fair? The whistle no longer signals the end of a play?

 

[JJDChE]

I don't see any of the rules changes listed as 'progress'. For the most part, it's a step backwards.

The horse collar rule is complete BS, so ONE superstar WR got hurt on a "horse collar tackle" in the last however many years and now it has to be a rule? This is getting ridiclous.

 

[OldEnglandPatriot]

Per the comment earlier about Bruschi crawling to a QB and pulling him down, that's still allowed. It's a 'forceful' hit below the knee that's outlawed, not grabbing.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

OEP, I noticed that difference, but it does still seem like little much, to make it illegal to basically fly into the legs of a QB, if that's the shot you have as a would-be tackler. In a vacuum I think I'd oppose this. But I think it helps the Pats more than hurts.

Of course, the rule is a reaction to Carson Palmer receiving Kimo-therapy early in the Steelers-Bengals game, and you always hate to see something like that. But how many flying-at-the-legs sacks will we miss seeing that don't mangle a star QB?

But from the homer point of view: New England gets pressure with the "credible threat" of sacks, not huge sack totals. On the other hand, until we're shown otherwise, Brady's as important to us as any QB is to their team anywhere. So I'd say over the years this one has to look like a net gain for the Pats (after all, we just threw out the post-season sackingest linebacker ever to play.)

.02,

PFnV

 

[DaBruinz]

Anyone think that allowing challenge of down by contact seems messy? I'm picturing things getting out of control when the ball gets pulled out after a play is over and all the players ignore the whistle.

Then you aren't understanding the down by contact issues. The issues are what happens PRIOR to the player being ruled "down." Not after. There were several plays last year where a player fumbled the ball yet was ruled "down by contact" even though the ball actually came loose PRIOR to the player being down. This would have resulted in a turnover and change of possession.

It has NOTHING to do with what happens after the whistle blows.