2010 NFL Rule changes

[Skoobydum]

Everyone knows about the overtime rule change for the postseason this year, but there are a few others for 2010 as well as some points of emphasis for the officials. Here’s the rundown.

 

1 – Expanion of defenseless player rule

Last year it was illegal for a player to hit a defenseless player with their helmet, shoulder or forearm. That’s been expanded and made more specific to include the following.

 

It’ll be illegal to hit any defenseless player if the initial force of the contact is made by a player’s helmet, shoulder or forearm is to the head or neck area. Such players include…

 

A QB in the act of throwing

A WR in the act of making a catch

A KR/PR in the act of catching a kick

A RB who is in the grasp whose forward progress has been stopped

A QB after change of possession

A K/P after the ball is kicked

 

Penalty for this is unecessary roughness and a 15-yard walk off.

 

2 – No launch rule

If a receiver has completed a catch, but has not had time to protect himself, a defensive player is prohibited from launching into him, in which a defensive player’s helmet, shoulder or forearm are used to forcibly strike the receiver in the head or neck area. (They’re trying to prevent defenders from leaving their feet and turning their helmet into a weapon).

 

Penalty for this is also 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

 

3 – Snapper protection (expanded)

The snapper on punts and kicks is in a defenseless position with his head down at the start of a play. Last year a rule was instituted to prevent opponents on the line of scrimmage from lining up over him, but there were still instances where his safety was at risk, so to expand the rule opponents on the line of scrimmage must line up with their entire body outside of the snapper’s pads on FGs and punts, otherwise it’s a 5-yard illegal formation penalty.

 

4 – Helmet off rule

Starting this year the ball is going to be called dead immediately if a ball carrier’s helmet comes off. Spot of the ball will be where the helmet of the runner came off.

 

5 – Muffed fair catch rule

After a fair catch signal is given the opportunity for the kicking team to recover a punt continues, but the returner now must be given a “reasonable chance” to recover the ball before it hits the ground without interference from the other team. If not the ball will be spotted like a fair catch, but no penalty yardage will be assessed.

 

6 – Dead ball personal foul at end of half or game

Penalty yardage for a dead ball personal foul at the end of the half or game will be assessed in the 2nd half or overtime if the game is tied at the end of regulation.

 

7 – 2010 postseason overtime possession rule

Each team will have a chance to possess the ball once in overtime. If the team that wins the toss in OT scored a touchdown on their first possession however, the game is over. If they score a FG the game is not over and the other team will have a chance to possess.

 

Keep in mind the chance to possess is not the same as possession, meaning that if a receiving team is returning a kickoff and the returner fumbles and the other team recovers that will count as their chance to possess in overtime come the playoffs.

 

Remember if neither team scores on their first possession in overtime, regular sudden death rules apply.

 

Other points of emphasis for officials

Sportmanship – taunting and gesturing at opponents will be strictly enforced

 

Gesturing to officials – Exaggerated gesturing to officials to throw flags for fouls will be prohibited

[Skoobydum]

Big hits look ill advised & almost assure some type of 15 yard penalty, so much for great TV.

[justnzane]

i'm sorry shoulder and forearm hits to a player in areas other than the head should be fair game. This is the NFL making the game become as soft as hopscotch

[CodeMonkey]

i'm sorry shoulder and forearm hits to a player in areas other than the head should be fair game. This is the NFL making the game become as soft as hopscotch

I agree. They are walking a fine line between wanting people to watch the game and keeping these overpriced players healthy. But the bottom line is, American Football without violence is pointless and doomed for extinction.

[Skoobydum]

I agree. They are walking a fine line between wanting people to watch the game and keeping these overpriced players healthy. But the bottom line is, American Football without violence is pointless and doomed for extinction.

 

It's almost like twister with a little more contact, that's what they want. Flag football is where we are heading.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

i'm sorry shoulder and forearm hits to a player in areas other than the head should be fair game. This is the NFL making the game become as soft as hopscotch

 

 

Ins't the rule saying just that. No forearms and helmets to other players heads and neck area?

 

Don't like the new OT rule.

[dhg]

Gesturing to officials – Exaggerated gesturing to officials to throw flags for fouls will be prohibited

 

About time on that one.

[Thoner7]

Everyone knows about the overtime rule change for the postseason this year, but there are a few others for 2010 as well as some points of emphasis for the officials. Here’s the rundown.

 

1 – Expanion of defenseless player rule

Last year it was illegal for a player to hit a defenseless player with their helmet, shoulder or forearm. That’s been expanded and made more specific to include the following.

 

It’ll be illegal to hit any defenseless player if the initial force of the contact is made by a player’s helmet, shoulder or forearm is to the head or neck area. Such players include…

 

A QB in the act of throwing

A WR in the act of making a catch

A KR/PR in the act of catching a kick

A RB who is in the grasp whose forward progress has been stopped

A QB after change of possession

A K/P after the ball is kicked

 

Penalty for this is unecessary roughness and a 15-yard walk off.

 

2 – No launch rule

If a receiver has completed a catch, but has not had time to protect himself, a defensive player is prohibited from launching into him, in which a defensive player’s helmet, shoulder or forearm are used to forcibly strike the receiver in the head or neck area. (They’re trying to prevent defenders from leaving their feet and turning their helmet into a weapon).

 

Penalty for this is also 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

 

3 – Snapper protection (expanded)

The snapper on punts and kicks is in a defenseless position with his head down at the start of a play. Last year a rule was instituted to prevent opponents on the line of scrimmage from lining up over him, but there were still instances where his safety was at risk, so to expand the rule opponents on the line of scrimmage must line up with their entire body outside of the snapper’s pads on FGs and punts, otherwise it’s a 5-yard illegal formation penalty.

 

4 – Helmet off rule

Starting this year the ball is going to be called dead immediately if a ball carrier’s helmet comes off. Spot of the ball will be where the helmet of the runner came off.

 

5 – Muffed fair catch rule

After a fair catch signal is given the opportunity for the kicking team to recover a punt continues, but the returner now must be given a “reasonable chance” to recover the ball before it hits the ground without interference from the other team. If not the ball will be spotted like a fair catch, but no penalty yardage will be assessed.

 

6 – Dead ball personal foul at end of half or game

Penalty yardage for a dead ball personal foul at the end of the half or game will be assessed in the 2nd half or overtime if the game is tied at the end of regulation.

 

7 – 2010 postseason overtime possession rule

Each team will have a chance to possess the ball once in overtime. If the team that wins the toss in OT scored a touchdown on their first possession however, the game is over. If they score a FG the game is not over and the other team will have a chance to possess.

 

Keep in mind the chance to possess is not the same as possession, meaning that if a receiving team is returning a kickoff and the returner fumbles and the other team recovers that will count as their chance to possess in overtime come the playoffs.

 

Remember if neither team scores on their first possession in overtime, regular sudden death rules apply.

 

Other points of emphasis for officials

Sportmanship – taunting and gesturing at opponents will be strictly enforced

 

Gesturing to officials – Exaggerated gesturing to officials to throw flags for fouls will be prohibited

 

Good RBs break those tackles routinely. So now they are eliminating hitting RBs who arent tackled yet? Talk about encouraging bad football...

[justnzane]

Ins't the rule saying just that. No forearms and helmets to other players heads and neck area?

 

Don't like the new OT rule.

 

 

therule last year didn't state is what i was getting at. In addition, QB's and K/P's are not defenseless, imo. If they don't want to get hit like that, throw the ball earlier or brace yourself for the sack. The only one's i agree with out of the list are:

WR in air making catch

Runner in the grasp of another

Returner in the act of catching the ball.

[CodeMonkey]

Sportmanship – taunting and gesturing at opponents will be strictly enforced

 

Gesturing to officials – Exaggerated gesturing to officials to throw flags for fouls will be prohibited

I'd like to see them do away with the uber-gay dancing that someone seems to need to do every freaking play. You make a tackle, dance around. You break up a pass, dance around. Makes it look like professional wrestling out there.

[Chef Jim]

Big hits look ill advised & almost assure some type of 15 yard penalty, so much for great TV.

 

Football has not been great TV for a long time.

[Coach55]

Ins't the rule saying just that. No forearms and helmets to other players heads and neck area?

 

Don't like the new OT rule.

I agree with your reading. It's not that the league is preventing big hits, they just don't want people getting blindsided in the head and neck area. That doesn't mean you can't crush a QB's blind side. It just means you can't go head hunting. If they call it fair, I am for this rule. No one wants see someone break their neck.

[justnzane]

I agree with your reading. It's not that the league is preventing big hits, they just don't want people getting blindsided in the head and neck area. That doesn't mean you can't crush a QB's blind side. It just means you can't go head hunting. If they call it fair, I am for this rule. No one wants see someone break their neck.

 

 

mmm... can we make an exception for Tom Brady?

 

I keed I keed

[cåblelady]

Gesturing to officials

Uh-oh. They must have seen me.

[Hossage]

So, in other words, they wont be playing football out there. The NFL becomes more officious every year. The rules are harder to interpret and further from the game. I enjoy the games less now than in past years.

 

The muffed fair catch rule is completely absurd. We may as well make the players wear big, visible, pink thongs.

[BillyBaroo]

I don't care about any of these rule changes - I won't care about any until they change the TV timeout allowance= after a score=-tv timeout - kickoff - tv timeout

 

People complain about baseball being a slow-moving game - I think the NFL only gets slower each year.

[DC Tom]

4 – Helmet off rule

Starting this year the ball is going to be called dead immediately if a ball carrier’s helmet comes off. Spot of the ball will be where the helmet of the runner came off.

 

I'm actually glad they implemented this rule.

 

5 – Muffed fair catch rule

After a fair catch signal is given the opportunity for the kicking team to recover a punt continues, but the returner now must be given a “reasonable chance” to recover the ball before it hits the ground without interference from the other team. If not the ball will be spotted like a fair catch, but no penalty yardage will be assessed.

 

That's going to work out well.

 

 

Gesturing to officials – Exaggerated gesturing to officials to throw flags for fouls will be prohibited

 

Memo to officials: does not apply to Tom Brady. In fact, we're going to just give him a flag and let him call his own penalties.

[Skoobydum]

I'm actually glad they implemented this rule.

 

 

 

That's going to work out well.

 

 

 

 

Memo to officials: does not apply to Tom Brady. In fact, we're going to just give him a flag and let him call his own penalties.

 

Kraft makes these up as needed, tuck rule included.