Analyzing Rules Proposals By NFL Teams

On Monday, the NFL Competition Committee released rules changes proposed by NFL teams, along with other resolutions.

Nine changes to the playing rules were proposed by several teams, including two by the Eagles. Six of the rule proposals have to do with the replay review procedures; all were proposed by other teams.

The most notable rule change proposed by the Eagles would allow a team to opt to go for 4th and 20 as an alternative to kicking the ball off if they’re behind. The rule would only allow for teams to do this twice, and only when they’re behind on the scoreboard. This rule change would allow for more exciting games, as the onside kick had a success rate of just five percent on 55 attempts during the 2022-23 season.

The Eagles proposed this rule during the 2020 offseason, but it was tabled at that time due to a lack of support. Since then, the success rate of onside kicks plummeted from 12.9 percent during the preceding season and from 21 percent during the 2017 season, which means more owners could be amenable to the change. Other professional football leagues, including the XFL and USFL, utilize a variation of this rule.

The other change proposed by the Eagles had to do with number changes, allowing the use of the number 0 by players and giving more flexibility to the punters’ and kickers’ numbers. Currently, kickers can only use numbers between 1 and 19. The rule proposal would allow the quarterback, kicker, punter, receivers, and backs the opportunity to use the number 0. It would also allow the kicker and punter to use any number between 0-49 and 90-99. This allows for greater flexibility in assigning numbers, clearing out the logjam at the lower numbers to allow more numbers to be used for quarterbacks. The number selection for linemen on both sides of the ball would remain unchanged.

Other rule changes proposed by other teams include allowing for a third coach’s challenge if one challenge is successful during the game (the current rule requires both challenges to be successful before a third is awarded), allowing personal fouls and roughing the passer fouls to be reviewable, and expanding the jurisdiction of the Replay Official for penalty assessment and reviewing fourth down attempts. There was also a rule change related to the timing of the play clock following replay reviews that result in a running clock.

A rule change proposed by the Jets would also expand the foul for a crackback block to include players in motion at the snap who advance beyond the line of scrimmage and block below the waist.

Rule changes require the support of three quarters of the owners, and it is unlikely that all of these rule changes will be accepted.

Other operational proposals were also released, including one establish one cutoff date for the 53 man roster to be established, and another to require game clocks to display tenths of a second in the last 30 seconds of the second and fourth quarters.

NFL team owners will vote on these proposals at the spring league meeting in May 2023.