Thread: What Are Your Most and Least Favorite NFL Rules Changes Ever?

Not a poll, because... impossible; no one has the bandwidth. Just a thread inspired by the one on Goodell saying the NFL's looking at making PATs automatic unless teams choose to try a 2 PAT (and get none if they fail.) Actually, by the general reaction to that thread: That football should be like it used to be—even though football's NEVER been like it "used to be." Ever since Walter Camp changed rugby into football around 1870 (or at least helped, the original origin's obscure) football's been changing, as it likely always will.

Some comments on todays NFL being so different from what it was like growing up got me thinking about the many ways (some big, others not) it had ALREADY changed THEN from what it was like when I was a kid, and how it changed in my childhood from the game older people knew as a kid. I remembered most big ones from my pre-adult years (e.g. expansion both during and after my childhood, expanded playoffs as I finished HS, instant replaly arriving, leaving, then arriving again, radio helmets going from banned to standard.)

Scanning the list, several I'd forgotten surprised me almost as much as they enrage me everytime I'm reminded of them. The two big ones that probably don't seem big to anyone else are:

1) Since 1993 the clock no longer stops on ALL plays out of bounds, only in the final 2:00 of the first half and final 5:00 of the second. Not that I really WANTED NE to come back Sunday, but let's face it: The first time they got the ball in the second half they were down 17, because we'd just burned 7:05 off the clock with our longest drive all season. It probably wouldn't have been as long if we'd had to worry about going out of bounds, and I doubt the Pats were thinking, "it's OK; as long as there's >5:00 left we don't need lots of points in a hurry."

2) The 30 second play clock gave way to 45. This may be the lamest rule ever, because whenever a trailing teams outs of time outs at the 2:00 Warning and their opponent has the ball, the game's over; we're just watching the commercial break for the Hell of it. "Used to be" different; even inside 2:00, you had to make at least OEN first down or give them a shot.

If we're all about speeding up play and making the game more exciting for TV ratings, why do offenses need an extra 15 seconds to get back to the line and snap the ball? So we can have an infinite series of audibles and re-audibles? Roger Staubach managed to run plays without Delay of Game penalties.

3) The second playoff team. I REALLY hate this, not just because it dilutes the playoffs with 9-7 and 8-8 teams, but because the wildcard was supposed to be for the best of the rest. It was to ensure all REAL contenders reached the tournament of champions, not ensure no decent team missed it. The OLD wildcard race was fraught and filled with many teams, because there was only one, so the race started early and winning out was a prerequisite: SOMEONE would win out; if you didn't: Too bad; guess you're not the best of the rest.

I really can't convey how much I hate #6 seeds. In the 33 years (so far...) of TWO #6 seeds/year, that's how many have won a SB: Two (the '05 Steelers and '10 Pack, and there's a good argument we and Indy both choked against the '05 Steelers, who benefited from many infamous calls in the SB.) It doesn't give pretty good teams a chance to win, it gives really good teams a chance to LOSE to spoilers they don't take seriously. Gee, I wonder why so many #1 seeds miss the SB all of a sudden.

Worst division winner plays best non-division winner while everyone else watches; then the REAL playoffs start. In the modern era, 10/32 teams would reach the postseason, which is just about right, IMHO. Far less than 50% (thankfully) yet far more than 25% (again, thankfull.) Close to 33%, almost perfect. And you don't have 7-4 teams slacking off because, hey, we can't get a bye, and probably can't win our division, but as long as we win 2-3 of our last 5, we'll get SOME playoff berth as one of "the best."

On the other hand, two rules I really like are replay review and the addition of the 2 PAT, so teams aren't down 2 scores until they trail by >16, but when they trail by >14 they need some real extra effort to close the gap even with 2 TDs. THAT'S exciting in a way I don't think ever intended; I certainly never anticipated it (then again, I avoid the SECAA like the plague.) I just wish coaches could challenge calls till they ran out of time outs—but then a coach might prove the NFL WRONG more than once or MAYBE twice in a game; can't have that.

I don't think most people (probably including me) realize just how MUCH the game has changed since the days when forward passes were illegal, offenses didn't need 7 (or any) men on the LoS and first downs conversions were obtained by moving the ball 5 yds forward or 10 yds BACK in 3 downs (if anyone's ever wondered why the CFL uses 3 downs: That's why.) Even after the pass became legal, teams still had to be 5 yds behind the LoS to throw until Bronko Nagurski threw a championship winning TD to Red Grange in 1932 and the NFL retroactively legalized it.

Speaking of Canada, Walter Camps also why we use 11 players and they use 12: A visiting Eton soccer team told him 11 was more efficient, so football changed. Again. American rugby's come a long way since Harvard, Yale and Eton (of all places) turned it into football. Still not far enough to prevent us winning the last two Olympic gold medals in rugby.

Anyway, the 1932 NFL Championship was a huge game for rules by itself: It revoked the ban on postseason play (because Portsmouth and Chicago finished the season tied, forcing a playoff,) and, because the indoor stadium was WAY too small, introduced hashmarks and moved the goal posts from the end line to the goal line, where they stayed until after SB VII. And people say modern rules have unmade the game they grew up playing; I can only imagine the reaction to those 4 rule changes, 3 of which were pretty huge.

The point is the NFL's changed nearly every year of its existence, making "when I was a kid" significantly different even for people just 5-10 years older/younger than others. That in turn provides ample fodder for people to claim it's better/worse than it was, even to the point that rules some people "grew up with" remain "new" to otehrs. Even the NFLs official site doesn't include all of them, but I need a list people can peruse, so here it is: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ackback-blocks

Here's another good one; it only goes through '03, but includes some NFL.com missed (like the rescinded 1956 ban on radios in helmets:)http://www.sportsattic.com/araig/NflRulesHistory.htm

Note: PLEASE don't say, "the forward pass" is your favorite new rule. We all like that, but the 7 man line requirement created at the same time probably changed the game more. That original sweeping player safety rule surely saved more lives than all others combined: Wedge plays KILLED 19 players in 1905, prompting President Roosevelt to threaten a ban he had power to enforce. A hastily formed college commission responded by legalizing passes, requiring 7 man lines, banning wedges and incidentally founding the NCAA.

Naturally, long time fans decried such sissification killing the game they'd loved since childhood: http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/19-fo...orm-1277528900

After all that: Which do/es everyone love most? And hate most? Which had the biggest impact? Again, please don't say, "the pass;" think a little.

By the way: Yes, I know that's long; American rugby's changed many times since the Civil War.

Worse rule change, "Grasp & Control." I don't know how many sacks that were tallied against Elway were ones in which he actually broke out of the defender's grasp. Defenders would often have a hold on him that most QBs of his day couldn't break out of and were whistled dead a split second before he broke free.

Best rule change, getting rid of "Grasp & Control."

Best rule change was getting rid of the stupid tuck rule. Brady has his legacy to thank for that rule.

Worst is the jersey and sock rules.

Best is the Palpably Unfair Act rule.

Originally Posted by chazoe60

Best is the Palpably Unfair Act rule.

Has that rule ever actually been used? It would seem that the Tomlin situation would have been the perfect place to use it.

Originally Posted by FanInAZ

Worse rule change, "Grasp & Control." I don't know how many sacks that were tallied against Elway were ones in which he actually broke out of the defender's grasp. Defenders would often have a hold on him that most QBs of his day couldn't break out of and were whistled dead a split second before he broke free.

Best rule change, getting rid of "Grasp & Control."

Excellent choice. It wasn't JUST Elway (though he probably had more than most.) What sucked about In the Grasp (if it originally required control, they never seemed to enforce that part) was that even if the QB didn't get LOOSE, many QBs were quick, aware and accurate enough to get off a completion before they hit the turf (if they ever did.) I can't count how many times Warren Moons guards masquerading as tackles let yet another pass rush get to him, yet he'd flip a 20 yd completion out at the last second and I'd cheer—until the refs said he was "sacked."

How is he grasped and controlled—how is it a SACK—if he completed a huge first down pass? Kind of a contradiction in terms; the rule may say he was down, but the completion says he wasn't.

I could be wrong, but I believe I've seen them call In the Grasp a few times the past couple seasons, but with the Control part stated. I was still surprised; I thought they'd dumped that crap.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Best rule change was getting rid of the stupid tuck rule. Brady has his legacy to thank for that rule.

Also a "good call." That rule never made sense to begin with, so I wonder what prompted it (you KNOW something did.) If memory serves, it was pretty new when it got NE to the Super Bowl; the only good thing about that goof was that happening on such a large stage with such large lasting implications highlighted it so the NFL quickly dumped it.

Originally Posted by chazoe60

Worst is the jersey and sock rules.

I like the rule itself, but (ironically) wish the NFL used it for safety, not marketing. Untucked shirts in particular can be dangerous anywhere there's high speed, high force action (the last place I worked issued and required hospital scrubs everywhere—EXCEPT my area, where button shirts were issued and, after some gangbanger wanna be almost got pulled bodily into a machine and had to be cut free, required to be tucked at all times.) Just to make Reebok money though? Who the Hell cares; the NFL's the most profitable sport on Earth: It doesn't need Nikes money.

Originally Posted by chazoe60

Best is the Palpably Unfair Act rule.

BroncoWave's right: It's a great rule, the kind of simple, sweeping, justified and severly punitive thing serious violations need, but I've never seen it called in the pros. Often thought it SHOULD'VE been, but never seen it. Technically, the refs could exploit it to clean up their worst errors by calling a penalty on the water boy or something and awarding make up points (I don't think the penalty MUST be a TD, just that it can be UP TO a TD.) Kinda like they do the "blow one down there, blow one down here" thing (yeah, OK, they'll never admit it, but we all KNOW it happens.)

Nice choices, keep 'em coming. Any literal game changers? My personal fave is the 7 man line requirement; I think it changed the game more than anything and saved more lives than anything.

I was just trying to make a funny by posting the most ridiculous and obscure rules I could think of.

Originally Posted by chazoe60

I was just trying to make a funny by posting the most ridiculous and obscure rules I could think of.

And here I thought you said something intelligent for once!

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Best rule change was getting rid of the stupid tuck rule. Brady has his legacy to thank for that rule.

The Raiders had more than enough opportunity to stop NE after that play and seal the game but failed to do so.

Originally Posted by WTE

The Raiders had more than enough opportunity to stop NE after that play and seal the game but failed to do so.

Even if we concede that for the sake of argument, it was still a mind-bogglingly stupid rule. The best take is still the NFL coach who observed that, under the terms of the rule, once a QB starts his throwing motion, breaks it off and pulls the ball down, he can do anything he wants for the next 10 minutes and it's still not a fumble. He could set it down, walk to the sideline and start sipping gatorade; it would just be a dead ball. I'll give you points for not bring up the Carolina game though.

The worst is the "inadvertantly make up a rule on the spot, tuck rule".

I don't know what to say about the best rule, but I loved it when Polumalu got tackled by his hair...off topic I know, but who didn't love that? Am I right?!

Originally Posted by Al Wilson 4 Mayor

The worst is the "inadvertantly make up a rule on the spot, tuck rule".

I don't know what to say about the best rule, but I loved it when Polumalu got tackled by his hair...off topic I know, but who didn't love that? Am I right?!

The Tuck Rule wasn't really made up on the spot; it was relatively new, but only relatively, having been around since 1999: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuck_rule
That doesn't make it any less stupid. I appreciate the intent of trying to take ref judgement calls out of "was his arm going forward?" fumble/incomplete plays, but that was an AWFUL method.

The worst rule I remember was the "Unsportmanlike conduct" call against the crowd noise being too loud. That's right, youngin's. The NFL used to call fouls against the crowd for being TOO LOUD. Shame on them!

Good rule to bring back was the two-point conversion. Should have always stayed.

Worst. Endzone celebration penalties. REally? This game is for entertainment. Quit the crying about a player doing a dance in the enzone with teammates, or throwing snow up in the air. Lets face it, Terrell Owens signing that ball and giving it to the agent of the CB that just got beat, was friggin HILARIOUS, although overboard. Let the guys do a team chest bump.

I personally HATE the PI call. Seriously, a 45 yrd penalty? Come on, lets stop that shit beacuse the game has become a "look for the flag" on EVERY pass play. Every incmpletion, the first thign people look for is the flag. Its WAY too arbituary, and always seems to happen when the Patriots just need to get within FG range. Teams TRY for the PI call. It's lame, and its taken away from the game.

I Hate "Hitting a defensless player." Hey, that's great. Lets just make a rule that the defense MUST let the WRs catch teh ball before we hit them. Like the defense doesn't already have their hands tied as is. :smh:

Another rule I hate. "Going to the Ground".. or whatever its called that a WR must not only keep controll of teh ball WHILE going out of bounds, but then must KEEP it as he goes to the ground when Out of play??? RBs have to have control of the ball JUST long enough to TOUCH the front of the goal line for it to be considered a TD. Doesn't matter if he fumbles AFTER the ball crosses. But a WR must catch it, control it, cross the line, and KEEP control no matter How far into the endzone he goes if he goes to the ground. It's stupid and ridiculous.

I HATE MOVING THE KICK OFF TO THE 35! Holy crap. The KO return can be one of the most exciting plays during a game. Just ask Seattle during the NFC Championship game. But KO returns are pretty much NIL nowdays as kickers are putting it through the goal posts. Its' just STUPID and takes out a VERy exciting part of a game. They didn't "take out" the KO, but they might as well have, and I think that is their plan. They want to remove the XP, then the KO,and just line guys up to play patty cake football that doesn't have any tackling.

I Hate Custome Face masks being banned. Really? THIS is what you guys want to spend your time doing?? come on, lets allow some personalization.

I Hate the Roughing the pass if he's breathed on. Seriously, I think that is a rule. If he is breathed on, a 15 yrd penalty is charged.

I LIKE that all scoring plays are reviewed. ITs good that one team has had to waste a challenge to prove they scored while another team gets the call.

I Hate that "illegal contact" is an automatic first down. Why? Why not just 5 yrds and re-do the down? Offsides is just a 5 yrd penalty, but not automatic first down given. THey are both designed to keep the defense from being "too aggressive"... so why are DBs given a stiffer penalty for being to aggressive?

I know its not a rule, but Soccer style kicking was part of the pussification of pro football. When we had guys coming over from Yugoslavia and saying "I keeck a touchdown". I miss the good old days when lou groza, george blanda and paul hornung types kicked field goals. Of course that was way before I was born

The shirt tail out rule and sagging sock rule is ridiculous as well as penalizing choreographed touchdown dances and other shows of emotion on the field...

Did they back off on the customized facemask rule? Looks like pot roast has one of the multi bar masks. Much cooler than the run of the mill grill