Bye-week Thread: Radical Rule Changes

[Sicilian]

So, I was reading today about an idea that Tom Verducci, baseball writer for SI had for a radical rule change in MLB. I won't get into it specifically here because I know the prevailing opinion of baseball on this forum, but it got me thinking of a fun way to pass the time without a game this week:

Create your own radical rule change for the NFL. To hell with tradition! To hell with the integrity of the game! To hell with player safety! Make a rule that would add some flavor to the game.

I'll kick us off: The NFL Penalty Box

Any penalty that counts for more than ten yards gives the opposing team two options:

1) Take the yards as usual.

2) Replay the down, but the penalized team has to play one man short. They can't use the player who was penalized, and they can't replace him with someone who is designated at his position. So, Devin McCourty goes out for a blow to the head, and the Pats can't replace him with Duron Harmon.

On a crucial 3rd down, a team might elect to take the yards to keep the drive going. But if it happens on a first down at your own twenty, you might think hey, with one less defensive player we could break one!

Who else has a idea?

 

[Gwedd]

Eliminate the PAT. Make the scoring team try for 2 points rather than a kick for a single point.

Add the following scoring rule: Any kickoff attempt that culminates with the ball traveling through the opposing team's uprights counts as a Field Goal, in addition to a touchback.

Season game expansion: The regular season is expanded to 18 games, broken down into 3 sub-seasons. Each team plays 6 games, then the league takes a bye week. They play 6 more games, then another league-wide bye. The final six weeks are played, then post-season play begins. To support this, the active roster is expanded to 60 players, and each team may dress 53/game.

 

[chasa]

Make field goals instead of adding puts to your own score, Take points away from the opposing team. The farther the kick the more points removed

10 yards -1
20 yards -2
30 yards -3
40 yards -4
50 yards -5

So when you are getting down to the red zone it becomes do i go for 6, or take 4 away from them.

 

[Kontradiction]

Move kickoffs back five yards. :singing:

 

[Froob]

I know many will find this rule crazy but, keep an open mind. Defense can contact receivers beyond 5 yds past the line of scrimmage.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Remove offensive and defensive pass interference, as well as defensive holding. Make offense vs. defense the bloodbath it was during the days of Butkus and Night Train Lane.

 

[signbabybrady]

I know many will find this rule crazy but, keep an open mind. Defense can contact receivers beyond 5 yds past the line of scrimmage.

I actually think this should be done to balance the safety rules which clearly favor the O. No all out pass interference and no holding but bumping and hand checking should be allowed.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Eliminate the PAT. Make the scoring team try for 2 points rather than a kick for a single point....

How about adding a "four-point play" option. After scoring a TD, a team has the option to try to get into the end zone from the ten or twenty, one play, no kicking allowed.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

Get rid of the offensive line and make the defense count 5 monkeys before rushing. Make all players power walk instead of run and instead of tackling we do bear hugs. Oh wait... Those are the changes already coming from Goodell.

 

[BradyManny]

Here's a radical notion. Allow an unlimited # of players on short-term IR so that teams don't have to shelve guys for the entire season when they could eventually be back, not alone completely watering down the talent level, but forcing teams to try and push guys back early or have them play injured.

In a time when player safety is an issue, you'd think this wouldn't be so radical.

 

[everlong]

Eliminate the PAT. Make the scoring team try for 2 points rather than a kick for a single point.

That would add some excitement.

Add the following scoring rule: Any kickoff attempt that culminates with the ball traveling through the opposing team's uprights counts as a Field Goal, in addition to a touchback.

I think you would have to offset that with a rule that you lose points if you miss. Imagine in domes and Denver how much that changes the games.

Season game expansion: The regular season is expanded to 18 games, broken down into 3 sub-seasons. Each team plays 6 games, then the league takes a bye week. They play 6 more games, then another league-wide bye. The final six weeks are played, then post-season play begins. To support this, the active roster is expanded to 60 players, and each team may dress 53/game.

I actually think moving to an 18 week schedule with 2 bye weeks for each team would accomplish nearly the same for the league. But by your plan I still think they stagger the weeks and that would be 21 weeks of TV revenue.

 

[Sicilian]

Here's a radical notion. Allow an unlimited # of players on short-term IR so that teams don't have to shelve guys for the entire season when they could eventually be back, not alone completely watering down the talent level, but forcing teams to try and push guys back early or have them play injured.

In a time when player safety is an issue, you'd think this wouldn't be so radical.

In a thread meant to get a little silly, this is an idea that I am actually behind 100%. I can't understand why this isn't implemented. Even if it wasn't unlimited, why not make it something like 6 slots. Having it be one seems like a restriction simply to create intrigue around the decision, not to help teams OR players.

Along those lines, I'd like to see more rules like the old one regarding emergency QBs instated. I think you should be able to bring in 2 players from the 7 inactives into the game, assuming you designate an injured player to not return for the rest of the game.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Here's a radical notion. Allow an unlimited # of players on short-term IR so that teams don't have to shelve guys for the entire season when they could eventually be back, not alone completely watering down the talent level, but forcing teams to try and push guys back early or have them play injured.

In a time when player safety is an issue, you'd think this wouldn't be so radical.

Also, I believe I heard Jonny Kraft on pre-game this week saying he didn't know why there's a rule that you can only activate 45 guys in a given week. Seemed to think you should be able to activate all 53 guys on your, you know, active roster. Kind of made sense.

 

[Kontradiction]

Here's a radical notion. Allow an unlimited # of players on short-term IR so that teams don't have to shelve guys for the entire season when they could eventually be back, not alone completely watering down the talent level, but forcing teams to try and push guys back early or have them play injured.

In a time when player safety is an issue, you'd think this wouldn't be so radical.

This man is making way too much sense.

 

[Sicilian]

Also, I believe I heard Jonny Kraft on pre-game this week saying he didn't know why there's a rule that you can only activate 45 guys in a given week. Seemed to think you should be able to activate all 53 guys on your, you know, active roster. Kind of made sense.

I remember an interview (probably on WEEI) with Belichick where he was asked about this, and he said he liked the restricted gameday roster because otherwise you'd have so many specialists that it would get a little ridiculous. I think he likes having to find players who are willing to perform multiple roles, it's in his wheelhouse.

 

[Patsrock]

If defensive pass interference is a spot foul and automatic first down. Make offensive pass interference 15 yds and loss of down.

Defensive holding 5 yards and auto first down. Make offensive holding 5 yards and loss of down

 

[Get it shawtaay]

Change the bump zone from 5 yards to 10.

We've seen two 7 TD games this year. One from Peyton Manning... and one from Nick Foles. That's today's passing game in a nutshell. So watered down its not even funny.

Give defenses a chance. Make teams either earn their passing yards or run the damn ball. Enough of this spread crap.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

i always liked thought the one foot down when making a catch may open up the offense a little bit...

 

[ivanvamp]

Here's a radical notion. Allow an unlimited # of players on short-term IR so that teams don't have to shelve guys for the entire season when they could eventually be back, not alone completely watering down the talent level, but forcing teams to try and push guys back early or have them play injured.

In a time when player safety is an issue, you'd think this wouldn't be so radical.

I think the way baseball does it is better. Have a "disabled list" instead of IR. I know that can be played with, but so what?

I also think that PI should be done this way: Two levels of PI. An inadvertent and mild penalty would be the smallest of either 15 yards or spot-of-foul. A blatant or severe penalty would be the larger of either 15 yards or spot-of-foul.

So a guy runs an 8-yard out. He gets bumped as the ball is in the air, mildly. Enough for a penalty. It results in an 8-yard penalty, and no automatic first down. If a guy runs that same pattern and is hammered, it's a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.

A guy runs a 40 yard fly pattern and gets bumped in the end zone. Instead of it being placed at the 1 yard line, it's a 15-yard penalty, no automatic first down. If he runs the same pattern and gets hammered, it's placed at the 1 and an automatic first down.

Requires some judgment on the part of the refs, but heck, there's already a lot of judgment involved.

 

[IllegalContact]

until the ball goes out of bounds or is down by contact, it remains live.......even on an incomplete forward pass

punts can be picked up by kicking team the same way as a kickoff......it just has to go 10 yards

bring back the wedge

eliminate existing helmets and replace them with headgear made out of foam mattress material

allow stickum.........allow velcro

eliminate all rules about clipping, chop blocks and blocks from behind

increase roster to 200 players

15 per side on the field

7 eligible pass catchers

nobody on offense has to line up on the LOS

defensive player snaps the ball. the QB must catch it for the play to commence