Last season, there were a handful of new rules that were put in place. Owners voted to expand the protection of defenseless players by eliminating the blindside block. We saw the pass interference replay review was born (how’d that turn out?), and several different rules that were added to the kickoff. Earlier this week, there were a few new rule change proposals that were submitted by four teams: The Eagles, Dolphins, Ravens, and Chargers. Let’s take a look at each proposal.
- Modify the blindside block rule to prevent unnecessary fouls
- Make permanent expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any successful or unsuccessful Try attempt
- Provide an alternative to the onside kick that would allow a team who is trailing in the game an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball after scoring (4th and 15 from the kicking team’s 25-yard line)
- Restore preseason and regular-season overtime to 15 minutes and implement rules to minimize the impact of the OT coin toss
As long as the overtime rules remain the same, it’s pretty simple; you have to get a stop on defense.