NFL Rule Changes........WTF????

[podsox]

Didn’t read this but I keep hearing this is just yr of the 3 pt stance. At some point the gm is changing so much that it doesn’t look like ftball anymore

 

[Southieinnc]

Eagles proposed rule change to add 2500 Sundays to NFL calendar - hoping to get through the next 50 years in one season.....

 

[Scooby-Doo]

From the time of the league merger in 1970 until 2001, the NFL Rules pretty much were etched in stone. In 2001 the stone began to crack. During the first round of the AFC playoff, Patriots QB Tom Brady was hit and appeared to fumble the ball. The officials needed to look at the replay because the snow was so bad that they were unsure of what actually happened. After review, it was determined that Brady's arm was coming forward and the "Tuck Rule" became the first "rule" to change a game's outcome. Of course Oakland Raiders' fans thought that the rule had been just created to take away their chance at another Super Bowl and they screamed that it was "Anti-Raider". Immediately after, several of the passing rules were carefully looked at and the discussion of what was a pass and what wasn't became a new subject of a need to clarify. Things calmed down for awhile.

In 2006 Farve, Manning, Brady and Brees were the new line of QBs and the league was starting to pull in millions of new fans.

In 2005 the Colts and Peyton Manning were throwing footballs all over creation and fans loved it.................until the Colts faced the Patriots in the first round of the playoffs. The rules allowed defensive backs to pretty much do anything they wanted to slow down , hinder or just plain beat up a wide receiver. The Patriots brutalized the Colts wide receivers and the Patriots beat the Colts air force. Immediately following that game, Bill Polian and Bob Irsay screamed like wounded ducks and bitched and whined and moaned about Ty Law beating te hell out of the Colts WRs. The NFL decided to look at other game films and other teams. They found that the Colts weren't the only team that had their WRs being whacked around. Following the 2005 season, the rules about defending WRs were changed and defenders could not longer touch a WR after 5 yards, defenders could not impede a WR beyond the initial line of scrimmage and defenders could no longer hold a wide reciever's arm from extending to catch the ball. The NFL decided that offense meant more money and that defending receivers could imperil income.

Move forward to 2015. 68% of kickoffs were not returned. Kickers were kicking the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs. Concussions were starting to make the headlines and were being discussed on television and radio. The league Competition Committee decided to change the rules and bring the ball out to the 25 yard line instead of the 20 if the ball was not returned or the kicker kicked the ball out of tyhe end zone. Bill Belichick made a decision to instruct his kicker to not lick a kickoff as deep and keep te ball in the field of play and force teams to run the ball back on kickoffs. Other teams saw what the Patriots were doing and decided to follow suit. Special Teams became a much more serious consideration because teams were no forcing opponents to run back the ball and any return that was cut off behind the 25 yard line was considered successful. Fast forward to 2017 and 41% of kickoffs were not returned. Citing safety, the Competition Committee is considering doing away with kickoffs as a "Player Safety" consideration and just putting the ball on the 20 or 25 yard line.

Since 2001, the NFL has changed more rules than it had in had prior in its entire history. At first it was to create parity and even the playing field so that every team had a chance to make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl. Now it's player safety. At least the NFL is saying that. The honest reason is that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have always been one step ahead of what the NFL was trying to do and every time they changed a rule, the Patriots used the rule to their advantage. IN 2018 the league is changing the rules again. And again the Patriots are part of the problem. In the 2018 playoffs Pittsburgh Steeler TE Jessie James caught a pass, twisted and extended across the goal line for an apparent touchdown. By NFL rule, it was reviewed as all TDs are required to be reviewed. The TD was not allowed and the catch was called an incompletion because James struck the ball on the ground and it became loose and he did not control it. The Steelers then threw an interception and the game was over. The Steelers bitched and moaned and screamed about the 'rule' of what a catch is and that rules will be changed going forward.

What the hell is going on?? It's a league problem. The NFL has become a reactionary league when it comes to rules. They change a rule when owners start bitching about a call. All it takes is one call to change the outcome of a game in a playoff, especially if it favors the New England Patriots. If the Jessie James catch/non-catch had happened during the season between the Dolphins and Jets, nothing would have ever been said nor would the league have even thought one second about changing a rule.

Every time a call or a game has involved the Patriots and specific rules has been cited and tyhe call favors the Patriots, millions of fans think the rule was pulled out a hat to screw on team and favior the Patriots. Over the past 18 years, the Patriots have been involved in more controversial calls than most other teams and because they are the most hated franchise, the league feels compelled to change those rules that benefited the Patriots.

Biggest problem?? The rule changes effect every team, not just the Patriots and the Patriots seem to study the changes and make those changes work for them. Sort of like the formation change against the Ravens, when the Patriots knew and understood the rules, and Raven's coach Harbaugh didn't. The Ravens and Harbaugh screeched like hell, but no rules were broken. The league changed the formation rules..............................Patriots have been in three Super Bowls since, how many have the Ravens participated in??

It’s a sports forum. No need to post a thesis

 

[Brees#1]

I only read the last paragraph about how the Ravens haven't won an SB since some rule change.

 

[Thruthefog]

I read it all Ken. It was a good synopsis of how a bunch of greedy old men ruined a great sport.

Of course, it's obvious the rest of you haven't taken the Evelyn Woodhead Sped Redding Course.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

As long as they don't fuck with overtime because apparently the defence is not considered to be a part of the team.

Change is inevitable. Some I can live with, some not so much.

I still buck up for Sunday Ticket.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

As long as they don't fuck with overtime because apparently the defence is not considered to be a part of the team.

Change is inevitable. Some I can live with, some not so much.

I still buck up for Sunday Ticket.

Defense borderline doesn't matter though in the NFL right now

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Defense borderline doesn't matter though in the NFL right now

I guess it depends on the circumstances.

Big plays happen from both sides of the ball.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

I guess it depends on the circumstances.

Big plays happen from both sides of the ball.

Like at an 80/20 clip in favor of offense, sure.

 

[Pure Steel]

There should be some kind of warning to go straight to the second post upon entering this thread....Maybe use the robot from Lost In Space....

 

[Dude]

You serious Clark?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Like at an 80/20 clip in favor of offense, sure.

I remain unconvinced.

I read some stat that says 80% of the time , both teams get the ball. Think it was Gene Vincent who said it but I may be wrong.

Who'd of thunk Malcolm fucking Butler...?

 

[Southieinnc]

There should be some kind of warning to go straight to the second post upon entering this thread....Maybe use the robot from Lost In Space....

Maybe just get it translated to New Jerseyese

 

[Dude]

you read all that

Well to be fair, his answer was almost as long. LOL.