DMD Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Nothing major though the Auto ejection could be interesting. No Chop Blocks PAT remains the same (was pushed back to the 20 yd line for one experimental year in 2015) Auto Ejection after 2 personnel fouls (for one year) Touchbacks go to the 25 yard line Horse collar expanded to the player name plate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 The touchback to the 25 rule is for one year only too and it applies to kickoffs only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 The IR/DFR rule was eliminated and replaced by a rule that for 1 time a season, a team can activate any player who has been on IR for at least 6 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 The touchback to the 25 rule is for one year only too and it applies to kickoffs only. Didn't follow the meetings or discussions of the rule changes, anybody here why they want this? Seems like there will be fewer kickofs now, teams keep trying to return and are not getting much past the 15 many times, rarely beyond the 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 25 yard line is intended for safety purposes as the NFL sees kickoffs as the most dangerous plays in any game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 it is all about player safety. Kickoffs result in a lot of injuries since both teams are often running full speed into the collision. I heard some commentators talking about it is another step towards getting rid of kickoffs all together. It is all about safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 it is all about player safety. Kickoffs result in a lot of injuries since both teams are often running full speed into the collision. I heard some commentators talking about it is another step towards getting rid of kickoffs all together. It is all about safety. That is what I figured and the more they tinker with it the more they should just decide to eliminate it it, instead of turning it into a something silly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theirish Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Guys who were taking the kickoff when the ball only went a yard or two deep in the endzone will now be taught just to kneel the ball and get to the 25 yard line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorttynaz Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 There's still gonna be some 'me first' players who will take it out thinking they can take it to the house - only to get levelled at the 17 or 18 yard line. I think it'll take the better part of a year before players realize there's no reason to take it out of the endzone - to which some of you have alluded to - why not just eliminate the kickoff altogether? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Football teams and certainly players would be against it. Special teams are considered the "third" team after offense and defense. It uses a lot of players otherwise maybe never playing. And it is certainly the source of exciting plays which counts big. But I have not heard anyone talk about punts being a problem, only kickoffs. So maybe eventually they just go automatically to the 25 yd. line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA Baracus Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) Is there a difference between a 'chop block' and a 'cut block'? What exactly did they make illegal? Edited March 23, 2016 by BA Baracus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I saw this article about the touchback rule change and the NFL admits it has no idea how it will impact kickoff returns and that it could backfire, but "there is a safety element to it." They must have some set number of rule changes they need to make every year with a safety element, based on legal advice for dealing with future lawsuits (the concussions and related stuff). Maybe I never followed this stuff as much a few years ago, but it just seems like they are making a change just for fun, to try it out and see what happens. What's next 4 downs to get a first too few, make it 5 for a year? http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25528216/nfl-implements-huge-new-touchback-rule-admits-it-could-backfire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelredd9 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Is there a difference between a 'chop block' and a 'cut block'? What exactly did they make illegal? It's a chop block if the defensive player is already engaged with another offensive player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA Baracus Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 It's a chop block if the defensive player is already engaged with another offensive player That's already illegal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 It's a chop block if the defensive player is already engaged with another offensive player that was already illegal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelredd9 Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) Most, but not all chop blocks were illegal. Now all chop blocks are illegal. Here is the description from the NFL rule book of the chop blocks that were legal through last year: A Chop Block is a legal block in the following situations on Running Plays: (a) Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned adjacent to each another on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player. ( Offensive players A1 and A2, who are initially aligned more than one position away from each other on the line of scrimmage, may chop a defensive player when the flow of the play is toward the block. © A1 is lined up in the backfield at the snap and subsequently chops a defensive player engaged above the waist by A2, and such block occurs outside the area originally occupied by the tight end on either side. Edited March 23, 2016 by michaelredd9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorttynaz Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 What's gonna happen when kickers put more air under the ball and it drops on the 2? That's gonna be an even more violent play as more hang time means more defenders barreling down on the returner. Dumb rule change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 What's gonna happen when kickers put more air under the ball and it drops on the 2? That's gonna be an even more violent play as more hang time means more defenders barreling down on the returner. Dumb rule change. I'm surprised they did not change this for pre-season only and see hot it goes, then revisit next year. Maybe they thought teams would not give full effort and use strategy in pre-season. The article I posted earlier said it could backfire, but I don't recall them touching on more violent collisions if the ball is kicked higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bud29 Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 NCAA football has had 25-yd touchbacks for a few years now. Here's a review of its results after one year: http://www.footballstudyhall.com/2013/6/25/4453812/the-effects-of-the-2012-ncaa-kickoff-rule-change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.