Rules that need changing

[The Wiz]

The rule, if it still exists, is the kick off rule where if the player fields the ball while OOB, it's ruled a kick OOB and spotted at the 40. My memory is foggy but I think that's what happened. I think it was a line drive kick that tumbled down to the 5 yard line about 2 feet from going out and the player stepped on the line and then touched the ball. I think it was against miami for some reason but it was a very weird rule that I have never seen other than that.

 

Again, I don't know if that is exactly the rule but I recall it happening on either a punt or a kickoff and the player touching the ball while OOB.

 

Here it is actually. I knew I wasn't taking crazy pills!

 

http://www.si.com/nfl/audibles/2012/12/23/randall-cobb-takes-advantage-of-bizarre-nfl-rule

 

And it did happen to the bills, but against jets, not miami.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/leon-washington-trick-treat-kickoff-bills-article-1.333827

Edited August 16, 2015 by The Wiz

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I'm sure someone could draw up some obnoxious formations if you no longer have to follow that rule. Anyone care to give some examples, if the guy doesn't have to be on the line?

 

it wouldn't be obnoxious if it was the rule. Besides it would lead to more creativity and more yds/scores

[Kkspike]

Mine is not a rule.I don't like pass interference or holding,when one official 5 yards away says no call then 8 seconds later and 72 yards away from the spot of the so so call the flag comes in.

[justnzane]

1. Challenges should be extended to penalties across the board

Kickoffs should be moved back to the 30.

Football is a game of violence, deal with it, pay the retirees for their pensions a reasonable amount instead of gouging the fans for bloated salaries of today's players and the tax payers for new stadiums. NFL owners have it really good compared to European soccer teams who have built their own stadiums with significantly less

Domes should be banned, football is a game meant to be played in the elements

If you are South of the Mason-Dixon, it should be mandatory that you have a grass field. Turf is rougher on the body than properly manicured grass.

College rules for passing should apply, ie 10 yard contact zone, pass interference, etc.

Kelly's suggestion about varying levels of pass interference.

Roger Goodell should receive the Shoeless Joe Jackson treatment and be banned from the league 65 years after his death and counting.

Expand the gameday roster to at 60 players. More players rotating in = less injuries due to lower fatigue and wear tear

Expand the practice squad to 10, same rationale as #9.

Tom Brady should receive a flag for every instance of whining :-D. His credibility is 0, and he should never be allowed in the HOF.

Start the season earlier as the January classic should be in JANUARY.

Start the season even earlier and add in another bye week at the minimum, reduction of big injuries.

The Patriots should be force to forfeit games that they cheated in, The NCAA is actually better at sticking to a team or player than Goodell. The 18-1 season should have had a loss week 1 as the Pats were caught cheating against the Jests.

John Madden should be forced to work every Thanksgiving, just so we can hear him say "grumble grumble grumble Turducken" and then scribble all over the screen.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

just saw the ball go out of the endzone for Minesota and then Tampa gets the touchback. This rule is unfair; you march the ball 80 yds down the field and the other team doesn't recover it and it's their ball, that's just not right. It should go back to the spot of the fumble and be the offenses ball.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Buffalo Barbarian

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

I absolutely detest the instant first down on holding. I don't know how many times we've seen third and insanely long, or a 4th down and long punt get simply erased because a ref is feeling too touchy that day.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

 

1. Challenges should be extended to penalties across the board
2. Kickoffs should be moved back to the 30.
3. Football is a game of violence, deal with it, pay the retirees for their pensions a reasonable amount instead of gouging the fans for bloated salaries of today's players and the tax payers for new stadiums. NFL owners have it really good compared to European soccer teams who have built their own stadiums with significantly less
4. Domes should be banned, football is a game meant to be played in the elements
5. If you are South of the Mason-Dixon, it should be mandatory that you have a grass field. Turf is rougher on the body than properly manicured grass.
6. College rules for passing should apply, ie 10 yard contact zone, pass interference, etc.
7. Kelly's suggestion about varying levels of pass interference.
8. Roger Goodell should receive the Shoeless Joe Jackson treatment and be banned from the league 65 years after his death and counting.
9. Expand the gameday roster to at 60 players. More players rotating in = less injuries due to lower fatigue and wear tear
10. Expand the practice squad to 10, same rationale as #9.
11. Tom Brady should receive a flag for every instance of whining :-D. His credibility is 0, and he should never be allowed in the HOF.
12. Start the season earlier as the January classic should be in JANUARY.
13. Start the season even earlier and add in another bye week at the minimum, reduction of big injuries.
14. The Patriots should be force to forfeit games that they cheated in, The NCAA is actually better at sticking to a team or player than Goodell. The 18-1 season should have had a loss week 1 as the Pats were caught cheating against the Jests.
15. John Madden should be forced to work every Thanksgiving, just so we can hear him say "grumble grumble grumble Turducken" and then scribble all over the screen.

 

 

you're justnzane

 

a lot of good points; reviewing every penalty seems excessive, what penalties really would want looked at?

 

practice squad should be as big as you want (would be the beginning of a true minor league, not sure if our team should be in Canada or Syracuse)

I absolutely detest the instant first down on holding. I don't know how many times we've seen third and insanely long, or a 4th down and long punt get simply erased because a ref is feeling too touchy that day.

 

 

here here,

[Beerball]

 

yeah but who cares, it has NO bearing on the play and to have it nullify a TD or 1st down is retarded.

Neither does holding away from the play.

Neither does a CB jumping off sides on a running play.

Neither does...

 

It's a rule, get it right.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Watching the Houston game and they have been called for a couple of illegal formation penalties. These calls are archaic and stupid. If a WR isn't in quite the right spot and a good play is called back on not a false start, holding or personal foul, but A WR is "covering" a TE because he is too close the line of scrimmage is detrimental to the game.

 

The rule should be five lineman on the line of scrimmage and that's it. TEs, WRs and backs can line up where ever they want.

 

I agree. But I would like to understand why these rules exist.

 

I wonder if it has to do with player safety, but I have no idea.

[The Wiz]

 

I agree. But I would like to understand why these rules exist.

 

I wonder if it has to do with player safety, but I have no idea.

My guess is for exactly what the patriots found the loophole in vs the ravens.

 

You have to have people lined up right in a certain spot. If they aren't lined up right you have to declare who is the receiver you're living up where. In a matter of 20-40 seconds, people don't do their job and it costs you.

[The Big Cat]

Been ranting about it for years on this board: offensive pass interference should result in a loss of a down. The offense shouldn't be allowed to replay the down after tactically negating a turnover .

I absolutely detest the instant first down on holding. I don't know how many times we've seen third and insanely long, or a 4th down and long punt get simply erased because a ref is feeling too touchy that day.

 

I don't mind it. But I'll meet you in the middle: what if it only resulted in an automatic first down...past the sticks? I agree that if you bump a guy six yards from scrimmage on 3rd and 14, it's a total !@#$ing bailout.

[The Dean]

They should surely have two different interference penalties, like the old roughing the kicker versus running into the kicker. If it's just blatant interference when the defender just tackles or hits or does not make a move on the ball, it should be spot of the foul and automatic first down like it is now. If it's inadvertent, he tries to make a play, etc, it should be five yards and maybe or maybe not an automatic first down. Way, way too many unnecessary yards given to the offense on DPI penalties.

 

Agreed. But in a way they already can kind of do that. It seems officials call "illegal contact" when it suits their needs. What I don't understand is, why PI is waved off, if the ball is ruled uncatchable---but they don't then just reduce the penalty to illegal contact. And, if catachability is the key, how can they call PI on someone clear on the other side of the field?

 

 

yes I know, that' why I said no automatic

 

So, if I understand your position, a CB would just regularly molest the WR on passes that would likely result in a TD otherwise. Right? And if the play was, say 3rd and 20, the penalty wouldn't even cost the D all that much. As a former DB that would be great---except it would make the game a joke, IMO.

 

just saw the ball go out of the endzone for Minesota and then Tampa gets the touchback. This rule is unfair; you march the ball 80 yds down the field and the other team doesn't recover it and it's their ball, that's just not right. It should go back to the spot of the fumble and be the offenses ball.

 

 

THIS is the #1 rule that needs to be changed, IMO. I can't understand how it is still a rule. The "tuck rule" is another, but hasn't that been adjusted, somehow?

 

Been ranting about it for years on this board: offensive pass interference should result in a loss of a down. The offense shouldn't be allowed to replay the down after tactically negating a turnover .

 

I don't mind it. But I'll meet you in the middle: what if it only resulted in an automatic first down...past the sticks? I agree that if you bump a guy six yards from scrimmage on 3rd and 14, it's a total !@#$ing bailout.

 

No problem with that, but then there wouldn't likely be any negative yards assessed to the offense. You aren't suggesting they mark off the yards AND a loss of down, are you?

 

But your second point about holding seems like it might work. You could also use the same logic with PI, I suppose. which might discourage rampant use of PI in some cases.

 

But for the most part, the rules work pretty well, IMO. I'd be happy if they just changed some of the more ridiculous rules (fumble OB in the end zone) and start making more consistent PI/illegal contact calls. Oh, that and officials way off the play throwing flags well after the play. Don't those guys get a talking to, by the crew chief, after the game?

[reddogblitz]

Allow holding on running plays. Give teams that don't have 1 of the 15 freaks in the world who can effectively play QB in the NFL a chance too.

 

Allow contact between DB and WR except when the football is in the air.

[The Dean]

Allow holding on running plays. Give teams that don't have 1 of the 15 freaks in the world who can effectively play QB in the NFL a chance too.

 

Allow contact between DB and WR except when the football is in the air.

 

 

I'm all for that. Back to the bump-and-run.

[justnzane]

THIS is the #1 rule that needs to be changed, IMO. I can't understand how it is still a rule. The "tuck rule" is another, but hasn't that been adjusted, somehow?

 

The Tuck rule was scrapped two years ago. So when you tuck the ball in and lose it, it is a fumble.

 

 

you're justnzane

 

a lot of good points; reviewing every penalty seems excessive, what penalties really would want looked at?

 

practice squad should be as big as you want (would be the beginning of a true minor league, not sure if our team should be in Canada or Syracuse)

 

The penalties challengeable should be unbounded, but still limited to the 2 challenges/game rules that we have now. Ie you can challenge a holding call, but unless it conclusively was not holding or another infraction, you lose your timeout and challenge. Or a PI call where the DB was judged to have hit early, but the replay shows that the timing was correct (we have seen this called before). Another is the the launching rule, where your player may be saved ejection if replay shows that he didn't target the head and stayed on the ground.

 

Edit: the NFL should bring back the European league to develop talent regardless of profitability. MLB subsidizes its farm teams so they don't go belly up as you know those Rookie League teams wouldn't be able to afford the salaries of 35 players when 400 people show up to the game; the same should apply for football, where they play the game with NFL rules and develop the brand overseas in the process so they can have their own startup leagues flourish as well.

Edited August 17, 2015 by justnzane

[reddogblitz]

Get rid of instant replay reviews completely.

[DisplacedBillsFan]

I read through and saw a few comments about holding, and this is by far the rule I have most. Offensive holding, 10 yards, do it 3 times and its 1 and 40. One defensive holding call and all of a sudden it is a new set of downs and 1 and 10. I don't even like that offensive holding is 10 yards. It gets called so often.

 

I would like to see both offensive and defensive holding as 5 yard penalties. And, as Big Cat said, if the 5 yard defensive hold pushes them past the sticks, then fine, give them the first down. But, if it's 3 and 16 and the defense holds, well, now its 3 and 11.

[Talley56]

I'd like to see them reconsider how the draft order is determined each year. Teams like, well, us, the Browns, Raiders have been looking for a franchise QB since forever but the Colts get to draft Luck right after having Manning for so many years just because Manning happened to get hurt the year Luck comes out? Just doesn't seem right to me.

[The Big Cat]

Agreed. But in a way they already can kind of do that. It seems officials call "illegal contact" when it suits their needs. What I don't understand is, why PI is waved off, if the ball is ruled uncatchable---but they don't then just reduce the penalty to illegal contact. And, if catachability is the key, how can they call PI on someone clear on the other side of the field?

 

 

 

So, if I understand your position, a CB would just regularly molest the WR on passes that would likely result in a TD otherwise. Right? And if the play was, say 3rd and 20, the penalty wouldn't even cost the D all that much. As a former DB that would be great---except it would make the game a joke, IMO.

 

 

 

 

THIS is the #1 rule that needs to be changed, IMO. I can't understand how it is still a rule. The "tuck rule" is another, but hasn't that been adjusted, somehow?

 

 

 

No problem with that, but then there wouldn't likely be any negative yards assessed to the offense. You aren't suggesting they mark off the yards AND a loss of down, are you?

 

But your second point about holding seems like it might work. You could also use the same logic with PI, I suppose. which might discourage rampant use of PI in some cases.

 

But for the most part, the rules work pretty well, IMO. I'd be happy if they just changed some of the more ridiculous rules (fumble OB in the end zone) and start making more consistent PI/illegal contact calls. Oh, that and officials way off the play throwing flags well after the play. Don't those guys get a talking to, by the crew chief, after the game?

Yep. It's ten now. Make it five and a LOD.

[Webster Guy]

1. PI max distance 15 yards

2. No defenseless WR penalty against the defender when the WR changes position at the moment of impact - this is completely unfair to the defender. Unless the defender launches and leaves his feet for the hit, the defender should not be penalized because a WR suddenly crouches down and a hit that would have been to the chest/shoulders becomes a head shot.

3. Eliminate the KO.

4. Stiff arm to the facemask is a 5 yard penalty from spot of the foul - it is unfair to the defender

Number 2 i strongly agree with. there have been some ridiculous calls that are technically correct calls but the wr's crouching then getting hit is something the defender cannot do anything about.

 

and i agree with the OP about these stupid motion and pre snap formation calls. meaningless crap. change it.

 

also, i don't know why the offensive line can't move as much as the defensive line before the snap. the less penalties called in a game, the better