What NFL rules changes would you like to see?

[MJS]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

I forgot to put repeat of down in there as I just assumed people would assume that if that makes any sense.

I can get behind that, then.

[Low Positive]

29 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

The game should not be bound by time.  The match should continue until one side concedes victory.  Its how football was played originally and it still works in Test Cricket.

They play until someone dies. That's how they did it in Roman times, when men were men.

[Jauronimo]

6 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

They play until someone dies. That's how they did it in Roman times, when men were men.

Its important to remember that football was invented so that young men who were born in a time of relative peace could prove to their father's generation, who fought in the Civil War, that they are also manly and capable of violence despite what their lack of confirmed kills would suggest.  Football was invented and early games were so brutal that were frequent casualties.  Its time we get back to our roots.  Football is about futile displays of brutality and proving one's mettle.  Its not about entertainment and commercialism.  

[DrW]

11 hours ago, Process said:

13 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

eliminate offensive holding penalty.  it's pointless to call occasionally a penalty that happens on every play.

Also agree with this, with the exception that it should still exist for egregious instances only. An o lineman wraps his arm around a guys neck, or grabs a fist full of jersey from behind etc. 

 

 

The problem is, this just shifts the question from "is this offensive holding?" to "is this egregious offensive holding?". I would be happy to see the penalty reduced to 5 yards. This will make it more difficult for the offensive team, but still gives them a chance. 

[Process]

18 minutes ago, DrW said:

 

The problem is, this just shifts the question from "is this offensive holding?" to "is this egregious offensive holding?". I would be happy to see the penalty reduced to 5 yards. This will make it more difficult for the offensive team, but still gives them a chance. 

I like it

[Rocky Landing]

Goodell briefly mentioned the possibility of an 18-game regular season the other day, and I'm all for it. More football = better.

Here's how I think it should be done:

• The regular season should be 20 weeks long with two bye weeks.
• Rather than every team getting two bye weeks that are staggered, every team should get the same weeks off: week seven, and week 14. So, six weeks of play between each bye week for every team. I'm tired of the bye week being a dice roll as to how beneficial it might be for a team.
• The 53-man roster should be expanded to a 58-man roster, with 50 active on game day.
• The preseason should remain as is. Week three is all about upcoming roster cuts trying to make a name for themselves anyway. Let the scrubs eat.

But really, in a perfect world, the NFL should be almost ceaseless. The regular season should be 40 weeks long, with every team getting a chance to play every other team, (plus twice each for division rivals, of course), with a bunch of bye weeks, and several "crossover" games" with other World Conferences (keep reading), and a much larger practice squad, that's much more protected from poaching (perhaps a time limit for how long a player can be on the PS, before getting offers from other teams?). There should also be two, or three other conferences (maybe more) that bring the rest of the world into the mix. Like, maybe a European Conference, a Russian/Asian Conference, a Southern Hemisphere Conference? Whatever works. Then the league takes a month off (that's right, a one month "offseason" that includes the draft), and start again. 

 

And enough with these draconian PEDs restrictions. If God didn't want people to enhance their performance, he wouldn't have created pills. 

[Orlando Buffalo]

14 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Bringing back the helmet earhole slap or removing the QB pass rush rules they’ve added since the 90’s would be more immediate boons for legit old school D imho 😁

I am not old enough to remember the ear slap, why was it removed?

Edited May 24 by Orlando Buffalo

[EmotionallyUnstable]

About 120 years ago, some schlubs were sitting around a campfire eating pork and beans out of a tin can thinking “hey how can we make this game better” 

 

Dave: How about we throw the ball forward?

 

I propose to have the saying changed from the best thing since sliced bread, to the best thing since the forward pass.

 

This has been your free crash course in questionably rooted history. Essays are due Monday (make it Tuesday with the holiday)

[BigDingus]

No more automatic 1st downs unless the penalty yards would be enough to provide a 1st down.

[Mike in Horseheads]

Whatever that penalty was on the block late in the Houston playoff game that screwed us out of long run by Josh, get rid of it

[US Egg]

3 hours ago, Orlando Buffalo said:

I am not old enough to remember the ear slap, why was it removed?

This guy:

 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

3 hours ago, Orlando Buffalo said:

I am not old enough to remember the ear slap, why was it removed?

Too much risk of injury, but as pointed out upthread it made the career of Deacon Jones:

https://clutchpoints.com/why-was-the-deacon-jones-head-slap-banned-from-the-nfl

[wjag]

All penalties are enforced.  

 

1.  Get rid of half the distance to the goal.  If the penalty can be assessed, use the available yardage.  If the penalty can’t be assessed, award a first down. 
 

2.  If,  say the defense gets 2 penalties on the same play, they’re cumulative.

 

 3.  If the defense gets 5 yards and the offense gets 10, the ball moves back 5 yards and the down counts.

 

4.  If both teams commit the same amount of assessed penalties, the down counts.

 

5.  Have one additional ref’s responsibility to watch clock and snap.  All he does is call delay of game and rectify issues of timing.  That keeps the field refs eyes on the game. 

 

6.  Get rid of microphones in helmets.  Go back to signs to offense and defense from sidelines.  Microphones mitigate home field advantage.  

[SoMAn]

On 5/23/2024 at 3:12 AM, Doc Brown said:

 

 

Also, move the Super Bowl to Saturday night or the Sunday before President's day.  

For years I've wanted a Saturday night Super Bowl, but there's no way the league and the hosting cities will give up the extra day of revenue.  A few years before the Bills' first Super Bowl, the kickoff time was changed to 6:30-ish to accommodate the west coast and make it more of a prime time event that would be a lead-in for a new show the network was premiering.  Before that, there were 2:30 and 4:30 starts that were far better for us easterners to have Super Bowl parties.  I'm older now, so the whole party thing isn't as appealing, and by the time the game is ended around 10:15, I'm ready to hit the pillow. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

Start enforcing false start penalties correctly. 

 

It drives me nuts watching tackles move ~2 seconds before the snap and the refs don't call it (most of the time) because the guy is "adjusting his back foot". The back foot adjustment is NOT part of the written rule. 

 

Lane 'false starts every play' Johnson is making a HOF career out of it. 

[SoCal Deek]

It’d be interesting to see what would happen if the Coach could trade a timeout for a penalty (outside of the final two minutes of a half).

[frostbitmic]

Make OPI a spot foul in reverse and a loss of down just for spite.

 

Adopt the college rule on targeting.

 

Teams can bring with and use on the sideline any league approved heating or cooling device.

 

$5 Beer at all stadiums.

[Mr. WEO]

On 5/23/2024 at 8:53 PM, DrW said:

 

The problem is, this just shifts the question from "is this offensive holding?" to "is this egregious offensive holding?". I would be happy to see the penalty reduced to 5 yards. This will make it more difficult for the offensive team, but still gives them a chance. 

 

leaving it a penalty doesn't solve it's inherent problem: that it is impossible to fairly enforce. 

 

Beat your man or get beaten.

[Sgt. Ski]

On 5/23/2024 at 8:48 AM, HappyDays said:

How about one rule change to ruin the sport? The QB gets a 15 yard penalty if he leaves the pocket, and the size of the pocket is determined subjectively by an umpire standing behind the field of play.

 

yeah that would work well for josh