Two new rules were adopted today that I'm glad to see come in.
"all turnovers are automatically reviewed without challenge"
"regular season overtime scoring is now the same as postseasons"
Here are a few rule changes I'd like to see;
Pass Interference is a 15 yd penalty. If it happens inside that, then it's placed at the spot of the foul.
Illegal contact is not an automatic 1st down (hate it when a team is at 3rd and 30 and they get a cheap 1st down off a 5 yd penalty).
Start calling the receivers shoving off the pass defenders more. Hate it when a receiver is doing what would get the DB a flag if they were doing it, and it's let go. Not really a rule change, but it needs to stop being so one sided out there.
Make the chop block so that anytime a defender is engaged up high, no other blocker can engage him down low. They take so many measures every season to protect offensive players, but don't take any big steps to protect defensive players. I think this would be a huge one to help even it out some.
Make the OT rule that the team's possession starts on a kick off, but doesn't end if the 1st possession results in a TD. Do it more like college, but not starting from the 25 yd line. Give the other team an opportunity to match the points. They say they want to give both teams the opportunity to possess the ball, but if the 1st possession is a TD, then the other team doesn't get a possession. If both possessions result in a tying score, then it keeps going until one team can't match the others score, like college, but starting with a KO.
Do away with coaches challenges all together and just do what's done in college games with the review system.
Make certain penalties reviewable. It's sickening that a close games outcome is ultimately decided by a blown call from an official, when Stevie Wonder could watch the review and see it didn't happen. An apology from the League the next day does nothing if that loss cost the team a play off spot. One of the most recent bad calls that did affect the outcome of a game that comes to mind was back in '08, I think. Chargers @ Broncos. Jay Cutler clearly fumbled the ball and it was then clearly recovered by Merriman before going out of bounds, but Ed Hoculi blew the play dead as it was still happening, negating that turnover that would have sealed a Chargers victory. If I'm correct, that did lead to a minor rule change that even if it's blown dead, if there is a clear fumble and recovery it could be reviewed and properly rewarded, but the fact of the matter is that it happens all the time and affects games outcome- like when the 49ers beat the Giants in that WC game off a botched FG snap, and they called the Giants for ineligible receiver downfield, when in all reality he reported as an eligible receiver before the play so the 49ers should have been called for pass interference and the Giants allowed to do the play over again. The League admitted to their mistake the next day, but it didn't change the fact that it knocked the Giants out of the play offs.
If I ever see Oregon Duck inspired Tampa Bay Buccaneers jerseys I'm going to cry.
