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NFL Rules Changes


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There are a couple of now-approved rules changes for the NFL next year, if that happens.

National Football League teams will face fines next season if their players are fined too many times for flagrant hits.

 

Adolpho Birch, the league’s vice president of law and labor policy, briefed owners on the new plan yesterday at their annual spring meeting.

 

The league wants teams to be more accountable for on-field conduct. In 2007, the NFL introduced a plan to fine teams for multiple conduct violations. League spokesman Greg Aiello said teams have been fined since the policy was instituted but declined to name them.

 

Under the new plan, which is still being worked out, there will be a threshold on the number of flagrant penalties that result in player fines, after which teams would be fined.

 

“We are looking at a system . . . to really encourage clubs and coaches to teach the proper techniques and to correct dangerous play on the field,’’ Birch said.

 

The penalties would be “significant and reasonable,’’ and Birch said it would be within the discretion of commissioner Roger Goodell to dole out further punishment.

 

Birch said that under the new rules, three or four teams would have been subject to the additional fines last year.

There's also supposedly potential for loss of draft picks if a team is a repeat offender.

The first concerns the defenseless player rule. It now includes language to cover players who have not clearly become runners after gaining possession.

 

“If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player,’’ the rule now states.

 

Kickers, punters, and quarterbacks after a change of possession are also now considered defenseless players.

 

The second change covers defenders launching themselves and now states: “It is an illegal launch if a player (1) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (2) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body.’’

 

The third change clarifies the rule that makes hits to the head of the quarterback illegal. It will be a foul only if it is a “forcible’’ blow.

 

“There were a number of plays this year that I don’t think any of us were comfortable with as fouls, so the contact to the quarterback’s head has to be forcible,’’ said Rich McKay, the chairman of the Competition Committee. “That will lead to judgment.

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Agreed.

 

Although I figure anything coming within 6 inches of Brady or Manning will still be considered "serious"! Whereas a Clubber-Lang shot to the grill on Cutler will be considered "normal" play!

 

I do like the adding the "Serious" connotation to the QB head shot rule. That was probably the part of the headshot rule that everyone had the worst problem with.

 

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Agreed.

 

Although I figure anything coming within 6 inches of Brady or Manning will still be considered "serious"! Whereas a Clubber-Lang shot to the grill on Cutler will be considered "normal" play!

One thing I really want to see at some point is this type of penalty (call or no call) become reviewable.

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