My annual "rules they should change" thread

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

We're far enough into the season for this thread. With no further preface, here is my list of rules that the NFL Competition Committee should change, with suggestions on how to do it:

1. Half-the-distance to the goal penalties, offense. An offensive lineman gets a holding penalty on his own six yard line. The team should not get the ball at the three, they should get it at the one. It makes no sense. If they are already at the one, or anywhere inside their own five, it should be loss of down. Not sure yet on half-the-distance for the defense, but it doesn't make sense either.

2. Pass Interference- two separate penalties. Why is that whenever the harsh and arbitrary PI penalty is brought up, commentators have a knee-jerk reaction that cornerbacks would tackle wide receivers if the penalty wasn't spot of the foul. The solution: there should be two penalties. One should be for intentional pass interference (spot of the foul), and the other should be for pass obstruction (ten or fifteen yards). the defenders are already at a huge disadvantage, and these long penalties are deciding too many games. Of course there will be haggling and some subjectivity, but the game would be greatly benefited by it.

3. Pass Interference- offensive. Assuming that the NFL will not adopt the PI changes mentioned before, wouldn't it make sense that, for an offensive pass interference, the result should be an automatic turnover? After all, the defensive PI assumes the receiver would have caught the ball; shouldn't an offensive PI assume the defender would intercept that same ball? Is this really a rule that should be implemented? No, but it's logical based on the system in place now.

4. Quarterback scrambling- directional changes. There's nothing I hate more than seeing a quarterback, who is protected by every rule imaginable and cannot be breathed on- juking a defender by either pretending to slide of switching directions at the last second. If the QB wants to run like a running back, he should get hit like one, and if he wants to change directions and make defenders miss, the protection clause should no longer apply. A QB should be forced to run in a straight line, or make no football move besides a straight run, or be subject to normal rules.

5. Overtime rules. The winner is the first to score six points, or leads at the end of the 15:00 period. I've heard lots of suggestions, and this one is the best. Otherwise, just don't even change the OT rules: right now it's 60/40 in favor of the first team with the ball, but that's much better than the college rules, which are by far the most unfair.

6. Calvin Johnson rule. What an incredibly stupid rule. Reminds me of the tuck rule: correctly called, but has no business actually existing.

7. Roughing the passer. Is ruining the NFL as we speak. There are roughing the passer calls, and there are "I can't possibly stop now" calls, which are being called too frequently. A quarterback is a football player. Though if I were Brady, I would be complaining, too, as you have to use any advantage you can get.

8. False Start/ Neutral Zone infraction. It should be an obvious call: if the defense goes into the neutral zone, it's a penalty and called immediately. The rules are incredibly complex now regarding a defender reestablishing position and whether or not the offensive lineman moved before or after he got back onsides. It always seems to favor the home team.

9. Lob pass. If a receiver is not more than five yards down the field, and the quarterback (like Sanchez) decides to take two steps back and just throw the ball high into the corner of the endzone, there should be no pass interference. With all the rules protecting QBs and receivers and the ridiculous contact penalties, here is one that the defense should get back to even the playing field. There's nothing I hate more than a lob pass where the defender doesn't turn his head (who would know the ball is actually there) and the wide receiver acting like he can't come back for it. Lob passes are cop-outs that try to take advantage of contact penalties, and they usually work in swaying officials.. They rarely actually work because the ball is just being thrown up for grabs.

10. Instant Replay. All calls should be made upstairs by three separate officials. That way the on-field judge has no pressure to break the bad news to a raucous crowd or admit his own mistake. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. They should realize that sometimes insane amounts of money and fan dedication is decided by inches.

 

[Froob]

I'd like to see pass interference at least be challengeable it's too big of a penalty to not be. Who cares if it slows down the game. Get the right call!

 

[Lamanai]

We're far enough into the season for this thread. With no further preface, here is my list of rules that the NFL Competition Committee should change, with suggestions on how to do it:

1. Half-the-distance to the goal penalties, offense. An offensive lineman gets a holding penalty on his own six yard line. The team should not get the ball at the three, they should get it at the one. It makes no sense. If they are already at the one, or anywhere inside their own five, it should be loss of down. Not sure yet on half-the-distance for the defense, but it doesn't make sense either.


I was just thinking of this the other day. I came up with a different idea. Instead of moving from the six yard line to the three (or one), the offensive team has the penalty yardage tacked on to the distance for the first down.

For example, instead of a first down being at the sixteen yard line, a holding penalty makes it ten more yards, or 1st and 20 at the six...Also not sure about the defense.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

We're far enough into the season for this thread. With no further preface, here is my list of rules that the NFL Competition Committee should change, with suggestions on how to do it:

1. Half-the-distance to the goal penalties, offense. An offensive lineman gets a holding penalty on his own six yard line. The team should not get the ball at the three, they should get it at the one. It makes no sense. If they are already at the one, or anywhere inside their own five, it should be loss of down. Not sure yet on half-the-distance for the defense, but it doesn't make sense either.


I was just thinking of this the other day. I came up with a different idea. Instead of moving from the six yard line to the three (or one), the offensive team has the penalty yardage tacked on to the distance for the first down.

For example, instead of a first down being at the sixteen yard line, a holding penalty makes it ten more yards, or 1st and 20 at the six...Also not sure about the defense.

Hey, I thought of that the other day too! In fact, I probably should have written that. I think it makes a lot of sense.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

- The officials don't call false start penalties enough. Specifically, I've seen many teams like the Colts OT's get early jumps off of the line yet the officials let them get away with it. In addition, Flozell Adams did this a lot and could've taken penalties to a whole new level.

- Neutral zone infractions on DT/NT. Kris Jenkins did this a lot in Carolina and I remember he was lining up in the neutral zone all game long in the wild card game against Dallas in '03.

 

[brady199]

The league is perfect, but a lot of your ideas, would bring more confusion and make it more difficult for the Refs to call and the fans to understand.

 

[brady199]

Having a penalty (Offensive PI) resulting in a turnover is the most rediculous one of all. If anything it would make the Refs more hesitant to call it, knowing that if they messed up it could be a game changer. I've seen WR's crossing where it looked unintentional that the WR picked off a defender and offensive PI was called. Having that result in a turnover only makes the call worse.

 

[unoriginal]

2. Pass Interference- two separate penalties. One should be for intentional pass interference (spot of the foul), and the other should be for pass obstruction (ten or fifteen yards). the defenders are already at a huge disadvantage, and these long penalties are deciding too many games. Of course there will be haggling and some subjectivity, but the game would be greatly benefited by it.

I'm not sure a subjective penalty can be improved by making it twice as subjective, and by including mind-reading to boot. I feel they already get "not intentional, not obstruction" wrong enough to hurt the game.

4. Quarterback scrambling- directional changes. If the QB wants to run like a running back, he should get hit like one, and if he wants to change directions and make defenders miss, the protection clause should no longer apply. A QB should be forced to run in a straight line, or make no football move besides a straight run, or be subject to normal rules.

I strongly agree with this. If the league wants to protect players from getting hit after they give up forward progress, maybe they should start calling unnecessary roughness more when defenders jackknife dive into a prone player just to get a hit on a runner.

6. Calvin Johnson rule. What an incredibly stupid rule. Reminds me of the tuck rule: correctly called, but has no business actually existing.

What sort of interpretation for a completed catch would you see as being an improvement?

 

[unoriginal]

I was just thinking of this the other day. I came up with a different idea. Instead of moving from the six yard line to the three (or one), the offensive team has the penalty yardage tacked on to the distance for the first down.

For example, instead of a first down being at the sixteen yard line, a holding penalty makes it ten more yards, or 1st and 20 at the six...Also not sure about the defense.

They'd have to re-engineer the first down yardage markers to get that idea to work. I would also bet that the defense would much rather have the offense closer to their own end-zone because that gives them a better chance to score a safety.

 

[Joker]

you guys need to watch the games from the early 70's..Fearsome Foursome...Jim Brown...the Skins with those nutty undersized safeties and huge lineman...today it's more or less WWF...like I really care what a Brandon Marshall has to say..Paul Warfield...Otis Taylor...they'd MURDER this league today

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I've watched that Calvin Johnson play dozens of times and at no time did I think it was a catch, nor should it have been. I've seen so many times where the reciever has full posession until he hits the ground and then juggles it a little bit and it's ruled not a catch. This one wasn't even close and people are up in arms about it. I don't get it, it wasn't a catch, he dropped the ball when he went to the ground.

 

[Joker]

Ben Watson hit the Denver CB at the two...the ball went into the end zone...Pats ball...but no...stuff happens all the time...I would NEVER want to ref in a league like the NFL...better to be a tennis linesman

 

[pencilneckgeek]

This thread is always fun. I'll preface my comments by agreeing with this caveat, but sometimes (not always), better is better, even if it's confusing:

The league is [not] perfect, but a lot of your ideas, would bring more confusion and make it more difficult for the Refs to call and the fans to understand.

1. Half-the-distance to the goal penalties, offense. An offensive lineman gets a holding penalty on his own six yard line. The team should not get the ball at the three, they should get it at the one. It makes no sense. If they are already at the one, or anywhere inside their own five, it should be loss of down. Not sure yet on half-the-distance for the defense, but it doesn't make sense either.

Let's give the ref a calculator, award half the distance for 5-yard penalties, 2/3 for 10-yard penalties, and 3/4 for 15-yard penalties.

2. Pass Interference- two separate penalties.

What unoriginal said. To paraphrase Belichick, they've just got to call it better.

3. Pass Interference- offensive. Assuming that the NFL will not adopt the PI changes mentioned before, wouldn't it make sense that, for an offensive pass interference, the result should be an automatic turnover?

This is where two penalties makes sense. An illegal pick would be analagous to illegal contact, penalized 10 yards, whereas point-of-catch pass interference should be penalized 15 yards.

4. Quarterback scrambling- directional changes.

Meh. If anyone slides, they should be protected and awarded the progress to the point where they give up their run.

5. Overtime rules. The winner is the first to score six points, or leads at the end of the 15:00 period.

The latter, although it should be 10 minutes. 18 games is bad enough.

6. Calvin Johnson rule. What an incredibly stupid rule. Reminds me of the tuck rule: correctly called, but has no business actually existing.

Nonsense. This is an excellent rule. The guy on the field has the option to use his head and see that the guy caught the ball and just let go of it. The guy in the booth needs to call it precisely, and Johnson got hosed. Tough. Don't showboat next time.

7. Roughing the passer. Is ruining the NFL as we speak. There are roughing the passer calls, and there are "I can't possibly stop now" calls, which are being called too frequently. A quarterback is a football player. Though if I were Brady, I would be complaining, too, as you have to use any advantage you can get.

Agreed. There's a difference between contact with the head and hitting the head. It can be adjudicated for other parts of the body, why not the head. If you swing your arm and slap the facemask or helmet, it's a penalty. If you bounce off the shoulder pads, it's not. It won't be as consistent, but it won't be nearly as stupid. Other aspects of the rule need to be eased up somewhat, too. QBs are big guys these days. You have to be able to tackle them, and that requires force. If a guy gets slammed, and you don't out-and-out pancake him, it's fair game. Fix those rules, and Brady doesn't catch half as much **** for his pretty hair.

8. False Start/ Neutral Zone infraction.
9. Lob pass.
10. Instant Replay.

Meh. These are good enough.

My own pet peeves:

11. Outside the pocket. Throw the ball near someone, take the sack, or run for it. This is football, pretty boy.

12. Forward progress. (This one kills me, because it's not a rules change, it's just consistently bad officiating.) When a receiver is coming back to the QB and catches a ball at the sticks and his momentum carries him a yard short of the line-to-get and the defender makes a stop, it's not a first down. You don't award forward progress to someone who voluntarily runs the wrong way. Same with the guy who sticks the ball out to get a first down and pulls it back to protect it. I have a hard time with the latter in the end zone, but I don't see that changing, so I'll live with it.

 

[Lamanai]

They'd have to re-engineer the first down yardage markers to get that idea to work. I would also bet that the defense would much rather have the offense closer to their own end-zone because that gives them a better chance to score a safety.

I'm not sure how this is really all that complicated. The yardage markers do not have to change at all. Two guys are holding the sticks, one at the 6yd line (guy A) another at the 16 yd line (guy B).

"Holding offense, ten yard penalty to be enforced on first down distance".

Guy B doesn't move, Guy A carries his stick from the 6yd line to the 26, or more simply, each moves 10 yards (or 5yds). They are actually pretty good at it since they do it about 40-50 times per game anyway.




Also, I doubt NFL coaches would prefer doing the half the distance thing. Take the number of safeties scored in a season (< 5?)and compare it to the number of plays in an NFL season that start inside the 5yd line (huindreds?). Probably pretty miniscule. NFL offenses are pretty adept at not giving up safeties. I'll bet coaches would rather play for the three-and-out and set up for a a punt return with great field position. This is just MHO.

Any former or current coaches have an opinion?

 

[DaBruinz]

I've watched that Calvin Johnson play dozens of times and at no time did I think it was a catch, nor should it have been. I've seen so many times where the reciever has full posession until he hits the ground and then juggles it a little bit and it's ruled not a catch. This one wasn't even close and people are up in arms about it. I don't get it, it wasn't a catch, he dropped the ball when he went to the ground.

Say what?? I'm not sure what you watched, but that was a catch by Calvin Johnson. There were no bobbling.

This is a case where the rules clearly contradict one another. Johnson clearly gets both feet down, gets his left arm down and his butt down. He clearly has control of the ball until his momentum brings his right arm around and the ball touches the ground. It's only then that Johnson let's go of the ball. There was no bobbling unless you erroneously think that based on him switching the ball from his left hand to his right hand.

If this was a running back, it would be a TD. Especially since the RB would have been down by contact AND with the rule that the ground can't cause the fumble. Which in this case it clearly did.

 

[Patspsycho]

you guys need to watch the games from the early 70's..Fearsome Foursome...Jim Brown...the Skins with those nutty undersized safeties and huge lineman...today it's more or less WWF...like I really care what a Brandon Marshall has to say..Paul Warfield...Otis Taylor...they'd MURDER this league today

The game is much faster today, and also much stronger. I wasn't a fan until the mid-80's but I'm willing to wager that the collisions are more violent now.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Last year or so i made a post about not being able to punt outside of your own 50 ... if you cross the 50 yard line you sink or swim. I think it would add lots of excitement to the game. You're only really talking about 15 yards anyways ... what happens between the 50 and the 35 yard line.

 

[brady199]

Last year or so i made a post about not being able to punt outside of your own 50 ... if you cross the 50 yard line you sink or swim. I think it would add lots of excitement to the game. You're only really talking about 15 yards anyways ... what happens between the 50 and the 35 yard line.

Thats exactly what people do... When they play MADDEN 11

So now a team that is up by 4 points with 3 mins left has 3rd and 13 at the 48 yard line takes a 3 yard kneel down so they can punt the ball, thats exciting isn't it?

There is a big difference between giving the ball up at the 48 yardline and downing it inside the 10 yardline. Espicially if the opposing team just needs a FG to win.

 

[Mainefan]

Here's a question: When we're talking touchdown, the ball breaks the plane and that's all there is to it. When we're talking first down, and the play is a pass, it's where the receiver is down. Why not give a first down if the ball breaks the plane?

 

[brady199]

The league isn't perfect, but a lot of your ideas, would bring more confusion and make it more difficult for the Refs to call and the fans to understand.

oops, meant to say the league ISN'T perfect