Proposed new rules

[red]

the competition committee has propsed a bunch of new rules and bylaw changes

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/

most notible for me, are moving kickoffs to the 40
moving extra points to the 25, but leaving 2 point conversions at the 2
coaches can challenge all officials decisions but scoring play, which are automatically reviewed
refs can consult with head official in NY on all replays

[mraynrand]

most notible for me, are moving kickoffs to the 40

If you kick off from the 40 then the only real reason to have a kickoff at all is so that you can still keep open the possibility of an onside kick, no?

[red]

If you kick off from the 40 then the only real reason to have a kickoff at all is so that you can still keep open the possibility of an onside kick, no?

i don't know if moving to the 40 is going to have the desired effect. i'm sure the thinking is that there will be more touch backs. but just like when they moved the kickoff to the 35, kickers will "aim" for the goal line, forcing the returner to return the ball, and now you've given the kicking team a 5 yard head start to knock the piss out of him

[mraynrand]

i don't know if moving to the 40 is going to have the desired effect. i'm sure the thinking is that there will be more touch backs. but just like when they moved the kickoff to the 35, kickers will "aim" for the goal line, forcing the returner to return the ball, and now you've given the kicking team a 5 yard head start to knock the piss out of him

that's good point; teams will try strategy to pin teams inside the 20. But that's the opposite of what the NFL wants right, since there's typically a lot less offense when teams are stuck close to their goal line. I guess the NFL, in trying to reduce injuries on KOs may eventually get unintended bad outcomes (less offense), and even promote exactly what they don't want (more injuries).

[Fritz]

Fuck that shit, as we used to say in college.

Move kickoffs back to the 30 where they belong.

And for god's sake, Ted, remember that the frosting on the cake for Ron Wolf in the SB winning year was grabbing Desmond Howard.

[smuggler]

If they move the kickoff to the 40, that's approaching the point at which it might actually be mathematically more sound to just attempt the onside every time. I don't think it's there, but it's close. The ~20% chance of a turnover could very well be worth those 30 yards of field position.

[run pMc]

If they move the kickoff to the 40, that's approaching the point at which it might actually be mathematically more sound to just attempt the onside every time. I don't think it's there, but it's close. The ~20% chance of a turnover could very well be worth those 30 yards of field position.

I think, given Crosby's onside kicks and Slocums KO coverage teams, this might not be a bad idea.

Not a fan of the changes outside of more replays for the refs/M3 to screw up.

[Guiness]

If you kick off from the 40 then the only real reason to have a kickoff at all is so that you can still keep open the possibility of an onside kick, no?

I'm sure the only reason the NFL plans to keep the kickoff is for the commmercials they can shows before and after it. But I think the law of unintended consequences will result in the effect red describes - kickers learning to put a backwards roll on the ball the way kickers do, and planting the ball inside the 10...and as he said, with the defenders getting there that much sooner. Fair catches on KOs inside the 10? Yuck....

[gbgary]

Fuck that shit, as we used to say in college.

it's still said daily in every walk of life.

[MadScientist]

Couple of other interesting points:
12. Modify pass interference so that it can be called within one yard of the line of scrimmage.
Sounds like this would make the quick WR screens even tougher to defend, and make bump and run trickier.

5. Permit more than one player to return to the active list from injured reserve so that any player on injured reserve could return after six weeks.
This might be a big help for the Packers, given how many players miss 6+ weeks.

6. Permit each club to time and test up to 10 draft-eligible players at its facility, and allow any club that wishes to attend timing and testing at another team’s facility.
This one seems strange, but it might be related to a team moving to London. It would make it easier to check out players in the US instead of flying them to London.

[denverYooper]

Couple of other interesting points:
12. Modify pass interference so that it can be called within one yard of the line of scrimmage.
Sounds like this would make the quick WR screens even tougher to defend, and make bump and run trickier.

5. Permit more than one player to return to the active list from injured reserve so that any player on injured reserve could return after six weeks.
This might be a big help for the Packers, given how many players miss 6+ weeks.

6. Permit each club to time and test up to 10 draft-eligible players at its facility, and allow any club that wishes to attend timing and testing at another team’s facility.
This one seems strange, but it might be related to a team moving to London. It would make it easier to check out players in the US instead of flying them to London.

Wow. #12 could open things back up for GB's offense.

[Fritz]

it's still said daily in every walk of life.

Cute four year old girl: "Daddy, Daddy, can we please please please read a book together?"

The Dad: "Fuck that shit."


Doting Mother: "Johnny, could you please hang up the bath towels, and then we can have some ice cream together!"

12 year old Johnny: "Fuck that shit, Mom."

[denverYooper]

Cute four year old girl: "Daddy, Daddy, can we please please please read a book together?"

The Dad: "Fuck that shit."

Weird. It's almost like you were at my house last night.

You don't happen to work in Bluffdale, UT, do you?

[Fritz]

No, though I think I drove through there in 1979.

My heart sinks at the thought of adding two more playoff teams. For every 10-6 or 11-5 team that misses the playoffs (once every five or six years?), there are probably three or four teams that get into the playoffs with 8-8( or 8-7-1) records.

Keep it at twelve. That's enough teams vying for the SB.

But money will win out.

[gbgary]

i'm with you on playoff expansion. it's not broken.