FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The NFL has implemented some new rules for the 2018 season and, as with any rule change, there’s been a lot of discussion about how some of them might impact the game.
One rule change in particular, lowering the head to initiate contact, which will now be a foul, has garnered quite a bit of attention. Players who are flagged for the infraction will be subject to a 15-yard penalty and possible ejection.
Why the change? The rule is being adopted “for the players’ own safety and for the safety of the people they are making contact with,” said Falcons team president Rich McKay, who is also chairman of the NFL’s competition committee.