Some rules that I think are dumb

[Dan Darragh]

3 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

Here are some rules I think are dumb and that should be changed:

 

1. After a missed FG, why is the ball spotted at the point of the kick instead of the previous line of scrimmage?  The team not only misses the FG but also effectively gets penalized 7 yards.  I say change this rule.

 

2. When a team gets flagged for delay of game, why not give them the option to use a timeout to avoid the 5 yard penalty?  It would make for some interesting coaching decisions.

 

3. In victory formation, the QB should not be charged with a -2 yard rushing attempt.  It should be "team yardage" or something like that. I saw a game the other day where the backup QB was pushing forward to get back to the LOS on each kneel-down, which is just dumb and dangerous, but he apparently didn't want the negative rushing yardage.

 

There, I said it.  Now back to ragging on Beane and McDermott and Brady.

ALSO:

4. (I almost forgot about this one) - Incomplete pass or stepping out of bounds stops the clock but the clock restarts when the ball is placed at the line of scrimmage.  Not in the last 4 minutes of the half though.  Games are too long, this is a silly rule.

 

5. Adopt the college overtime rule.

Edited 7 hours ago by Dan Darragh

[Mango]

Teams should have unlimited challenges and only lose their ability to challenge once the either get two incorrect and/or run out of timeouts. 

If a team gets 10 calls overturned in a game that is a league/ref problem not a challenge flag problem. Don't want so many challenges/stopages? Stop getting so much wrong. 

 

[Dan Darragh]

3 hours ago, QB Bills said:

3. Sounds like someone had a frustrating fantasy football week..

Nope, I won my game this week because the other guy was playing Josh Allen at QB.

[jaybills]

2 hours ago, Virgil said:

This^

Where the offense usually gets the benefit of the doubt on most things againstthe defense, like wr and defensive player catch ball at the same time and goes to offense, makes me okay with ten yards for offensive holding. 

[billsfan89]

18 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

what I hate too is how these announcers are like “good play” when the receiver makes some unnatural move to dive back into the defender. That Diggs one was especially bad because he was out of bounds.

 

 

It would be one thing if the WR establishes a change of direction to come back to a pass. But they literally are just allowed to stop on a dime on an underthrown ball and all the WR has to do is allow the DB to run into them by stopping on a dime. It should be a no call. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

23 minutes ago, Mango said:

I hate that the ball has to survive the ground when caught on the sideline. Drives me bonkers.  As soon as the knee, foot, elbow etc. touches outside the field of play the play is over. Whatever happens after that doesn't matter. 

the catch rules just overall defy common sense. You slow anything down to the frame, and it probably doesn’t look like a catch. 

 

my rule change would be— if it looks like a catch in real time, then it is. Should be a judgment call, just like calling “holding” is a judgment call. We shouldn’t be looking at surviving the ground or the ball moving. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Miyagi-Do Karate

[PetermansRedemption]

37 minutes ago, Rich Stadium Original said:

 

Don't think so...in 1st scenario, spot foul puts the ball at Chiefs 20 yard line..in 2nd scenario, offsetting penalties, replay the down at original line..Bills have the ball at their OWN 20 yard line.

Ohhhhh I understand it more now. It was a longgggg run. In that case, Bills decline the face mask and it would put it at the Chiefs 20 yard line. 

16 minutes ago, Mango said:

Teams should have unlimited challenges and only lose their ability to challenge once the either get two incorrect and/or run out of timeouts. 

If a team gets 10 calls overturned in a game that is a league/ref problem not a challenge flag problem. Don't want so many challenges/stopages? Stop getting so much wrong. 

 

Teams should also be able to challenge anything, penalties included. If I think you really screwed up that call, it should be reviewable. It’s my challenges, why are you going to tell me “that play isn’t reviewable”. Do we have footage of it? Then it’s reviewable. 

[Mikie2times]

I don't know if I like this thought or not, but it would be pretty wild. The clock only runs in the last 2 minutes of each half on a completed forward passes. 

[Billl]

Change PI to match the college rule.  Make it spot of the foul up to a maximum of 15 yards.  

[nucci]

3 hours ago, WeckMonster said:

I hate the victory formation even more when the QB back pedals slowly to kill time then kneels of you get close.

 

should be a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty… same with a QB running to the sideline with intent to go OOB then  turning upfield, or intending to slide then continuing to run

why isn't it called victory formation when done right before halftime? It's the same formation, and do you really need someone 10 yards behind the QB just to kneel?

Edited 6 hours ago by nucci

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

Any movement by the O-Line before the snap should be a false start. No more of this 're-adjusting the back foot' nonsense that isn't even in the rulebook! I'm sick of seeing the OT's move a full second before the snap and it's not a penalty. 

 

Defensive holding and illegal contact should not be an automatic first down. 

 

Illegal formation needs to be more evenly enforced. Call it on Jawaan Taylor every single time he's not lined up properly.

 

 

[T.E.]

2 hours ago, Mango said:

I hate that the ball has to survive the ground when caught on the sideline. Drives me bonkers.  As soon as the knee, foot, elbow etc. touches outside the field of play the play is over. Whatever happens after that doesn't matter. 

The way it should be, considering that nothing matters once the ball is a frog's hair over the goal line. Automatic TD.

Edited 5 hours ago by T.E.

[DrBob806]

I don't like how they penalize the defense on these rules:

 

- the QB is allowed to throw the ball away

 

- they changed the Offside rules, penalizing defenders. They should be allowed to get back in their stance or set position unless they make contact with an offensive player. 

[buffalo2218]

I'm may be in the minority here, but I don't agree with the defensive PI penalty. A 30 or 40 yard penalty is way too game changing

[Big Turk]

4 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

Here are some rules I think are dumb and that should be changed:

 

1. After a missed FG, why is the ball spotted at the point of the kick instead of the previous line of scrimmage?  The team not only misses the FG but also effectively gets penalized 7 yards.  I say change this rule.

 

2. When a team gets flagged for delay of game, why not give them the option to use a timeout to avoid the 5 yard penalty?  It would make for some interesting coaching decisions.

 

3. In victory formation, the QB should not be charged with a -2 yard rushing attempt.  It should be "team yardage" or something like that. I saw a game the other day where the backup QB was pushing forward to get back to the LOS on each kneel-down, which is just dumb and dangerous, but he apparently didn't want the negative rushing yardage.

 

There, I said it.  Now back to ragging on Beane and McDermott and Brady.

 

They already had the option to use a timeout to avoid it, either they were too clueless or chose not to.

[Dan]

4 hours ago, QB Bills said:

1. Anything that disincentivizes kicking, I'm all for. So I like this rule.

 

2. Not a bad idea. Also, related to this, the "half the distance to the goal line" penalties are stupid. If an offense false starts at their own 1, the first down marker should move forward 5 yards. Moving back half a yard is meaningless. 

 

3. Sounds like someone had a frustrating fantasy football week..

Totally agree with this.   Get rid of the half the distance to the goal, all together.    If you're at the 5 and get a 5 yd penalty, ball is placed on the goal line.  If you’re at the 4 the ball is placed at the goal line and its 1st an 11.

 

An alternative idea.. that would be highly impactful would be. If the penalty yards exceeds the field distance (false start when you're on the 4yd line). Its a safety.    Done.

 

 

2 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Def PI where the ball is underthrown and the receiver comes back into the defender. 
 

that should Be considered an “uncatchable” ball and no penalty.  Otherwise, it rewards a bad pass and penalizes good coverage.

Agreed.  Just as they rule some passes as uncatchable, hence no pass interference.   An underthrown ball should be treated the same way.  WRs should not be allowed to impede the defender for underthrown passes. 
 

 

The one I don't think I saw mentioned is the 5yds and automatic first down for defensive holding.  How many times do you see 3rd and 14, incomplete pass.  Woops holding on the other side of the field. 5yds automatic first down.   Just asses the 5yds.  I get the concern about defenders then just holding anytime its 3rd and longer than 5… but they need to find a way to stop giving the Chiefs free first downs because someone not even in the play held for a split second.   Maybe 5 yds and replay the down?

[Uncle Stucky]

I’ve said it for 20 years, offensive hold (LoS) should be a 5 yard penalty. 10 yards is too much. 
 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Uncle Stucky

[Doc Brown]

4 hours ago, Low Positive said:

Offensive holding needs to be five yards. Ten yards is too much for a penalty that occurs on pretty much every snap, and the refs can call at any time. 

Only five yards would make o-lineman more likely to hold to try and get away with it.  Defensive holding at least is an automatic first down.

 

Things I'd do because I hate kicking.

-Bring back 20 yard extra points.

-No more kickoffs.  Opposing team gets ball at 25 yard line.  Teams can still declare for an onsides kick.

-The same ball used in the previous play is what the kicker has to use to attempt a field goal.

 

[reddogblitz]

3 hours ago, Bill4Bills said:

It seems to me that the current catch rule is overly complicated-leading to a lot of subjectivity.  Even announcers often disagree after watching several slo-mo replays, not to mention disagreement among officials.  And just try explaining the rule (that I probably don't fully understand) to a novice football watcher.  Here is the rule:

 

RULE SUMMARY  VIEW OFFICIAL RULE

COMPLETED OR INTERCEPTED PASS

A player who makes a catch may advance the ball. A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) in the field of play, at the sideline, or in the end zone if a player, who is inbounds:

a. secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and

b. touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and

c. after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, performs any act common to the game (e.g., tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn upfield, or avoid or ward off an opponent), or he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so. 

Notes:

Movement of the ball does not automatically result in loss of control.

If a player, who satisfied (a) and (b), but has not satisfied (c), contacts the ground and loses control of the ball, it is an incomplete pass if the ball hits the ground before he regains control, or if he regains control out of bounds

A receiver is considered a player in a defenseless posture (See 12-2-7) throughout the entire process of the catch and until the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent.

If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control. If the ball is muffed after simultaneous touching by two such players, all the players of the passing team become eligible to catch the loose ball.

If a player, who is in possession of the ball, is held up and carried out of bounds by an opponent before both feet or any part of his body other than his hands touches the ground inbounds, it is a completed or intercepted pass. It is not necessary for the player to maintain control of the ball when he lands out of bounds.

 

Are you still with me?  Did you know. that you don't have to make a 'football act' to secure the catch, but must hold onto the ball long enough to do so?  I don't know the answer to how to simplify this, but it seems to me that a rule about a play so fundamental to the game should make matters clear enough so that we are not holding our breaths waiting for the official call, AFTER we have all watched a half a dozen replays.  And yes a lot of rules seem to come down to subjectivity even after replay, this one just sticks in my craw a little more.  

 

The only explanation I can come with on the complexity of this rule and others is the subjectivity is a feature, not a bug. It gives the refs/league/Vegas wiggle room when needed to influence the outcome.

[Virgil]

2 hours ago, jaybills said:

Where the offense usually gets the benefit of the doubt on most things againstthe defense, like wr and defensive player catch ball at the same time and goes to offense, makes me okay with ten yards for offensive holding. 

For a penalty that some say happens on every single play, 10 yards is too crushing to a drive.  There’s no malicious intent, nor is there fear of injury.