Laddie Morse
The rules of football are changing all the time. Every year, the owners get together and make up new rules that are supposed to make the game safer. These new rules have also changed the face of football from a running league to a passing league and what’s lucky for the Chiefs is, they have the best passer in the league right now.
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Fair Catch Rule
While the Chiefs new QB coach, David Girardi, might be happy with the changes this year, Dave Toub, our illustrious Special Teams Coach, is not.
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Now, a player can fair-catch a ball on a kickoff, and if he does that, the ball will be placed at the 25 yard line automatically. This is another rule based head injuries reported on kickoffs. However, the rule seems to cut Special Teams coaches to the quick, in that… are they even needed now?
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If every team starts following this rule, what’s the need for a Special Teams coach? BTW. The NFL Special Teams Coaches unanimously opposed the change.
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TNF Schedule Flex
Owners voted to approve a new rule on Monday that allows them to flex games to Thursday Night Football in weeks 13-through-17. Big Surprise… the motivation for this move is largely financial. Teams have to be notified 28 days in advance (four weeks) so teams should be able to adjust to the change in schedule. Based on the Chiefs schedule, it looks like they will not be flexed as they are already playing in enough prime time games. The Chiefs schedule includes:
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Play Clock Timing Adjustments
Referees will be able to make the adjustment of the play clock following an Instant replay reversal. This, of course, will be consistent with other timing rules.
I’m more in favor of placing more control over game situations on the referees in the booth. Notice that i sadi, referee(s), with an s at the end. Which means, the league would have to increase the number of refs in the booth for any given game. Plus, if the league is going that direction… and because the league is allowing betting on games… referees should be responsible for answering quesiotns after the game, even if that includes visual Zoom meetings.
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“Expand the Replay Official’s jurisdiction to allow for review on failed fourth-down attempts.”
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Why, Why, Why
A few years back, the owners approved a new rule that would allow each team to possess the ball on offense. The new rule came after the Chiefs had beaten the Bills in a playoff game in Arrowhead. The problem I have with the new rule is… why didn’t the owners vote to make that a new rule after the Patriots beat the Chiefs in overtime only a couple of year earlier. In that game, only the Patriots got the chance to possess the ball. So… why the sudden change of heart… or rule???
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Three Preseason Games, Not Four
A couple of years ago, the owners changed the rule that each team only needs to play three preseason games and not four, like they’d done for the past couple of decades. The only exception to this rule is those teams who are participating in the Hall of Fame Game, which is the first game of the preseason. This year’s HoF Game is between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets.
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The Goodell Rule: Extending Roger’s Contract
The NFL owners are extending Commissioner’s contract through 2027.
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3rd QB Rule Allowed
The NFL owners have cemented a new rule that allows teams to carry a third full dressed QB on game days so teams should never run out of having a QB available. This only applies to team who have had a QB injured and are not eliminated from the game for other reasons. So much of what the NFL owners do is reactionary. Meaning, this rule is coming about since the 49ers had to use Josh Johnson, Brock Purdy and then RB Christian McCaffrey in their NFC Championship playoff game vs the Eagles.
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The owners reason that no one wants to watch a championship game with a RB at the helm. For K.C. that rB would be Jerick McKinnon and personally, I’d like to see that… not that I want to see Patrick Mahomes hurt, at all, but… I’m just saying. I’m not so sure that it’s true that no one wants to see a RB running the show and who’s to say that an extra QB won’t get hurt either. Plus, who wants to see a third string QB take over anyway?
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Summary
More changes to the game may be forthcoming, and Albert Breer makes a good point about the NFL owners:
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When you’ve been around as long as I have, you begin to notice that the game you’re cheering for now, is not the same game you started out loving back in the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s even. Do I want the game to be safer? Sure, but at what cost to the integrity of the game itself?
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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