New Rules for The 2016 NFL Season

The NFL has proposed new rules for the 2016 NFL Season. Some could help the league and some are well, bad. Here are some of the good and some of the bad changes you will see next year during the 2016 NFL season.

Let’s start with the bad changes.

1. This might be the worst change. The NFL wants to eliminate the chop block from the game. I think they are giving too much to the defense on this rule. The chop block is not the bad of a block. I understand what the NFL is trying to do by adding this new rule. They are trying to eliminate the possibly of having ACL and other knee injuries, but the chop block is a staple of almost every offensive linemen and in the zone read game. The chop block is something that is in high school football and I really do not believe the chop block is injuries too many players for this rule to have to be added. It is even worse for the running backs. How are little running backs supposed to pick up blitzing linebackers without taking out their knees? This rule is one of the rules that can mess up the NFL and how it is played.

2. 

   This rule got some notable pushback from the players. The rule is if a player gets two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, he is thrown out of the game. That’s a little too much. This rule might as well be called the “Odell rule” since that incident is the inspiration for this rule. It is why to open as a rule because one ref might put up with more, while the other ref might not put up with anything. This rule gives the refs a little too much power. But this rule is on an one year tryout.

3. Touchbacks on the kickoff are now going to start offensive drives at the 25 yard line. The old rule was that touchbacks would result in the ball being spotted on the 20 yard line. This rule is taking away one the most fun aspects of the game, the return game. In a way, it is slowly eliminating the kick and punt returns because there is a greater chance that the returner will not get passed the 25. But I understand they are trying to eliminate another dangerous play but at the same time it’s one of the most exciting plays of football. Hopefully after this year, it will not be a rule again.

Now here are some rule changes that I am ok with.

1. The permanent moving of the extra point kick to the 15 yard line. This rule had its trial run in 2015 and it did a great job. It added another exciting element to the game because kickers are more prone to miss from there or get it blocked. And the defensive team can take back a blocked extra point. With the rule, the 2-pt conversion is still at the 2-yard line so teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers can still go for 2.

   

2. I think this rule is not enough but it will do for now. If a team calls for a timeout and do not have one it will result in a delay of game foul. I really think it should be a loss of downs against the offense and a first down for the offense against the defense. It really should not be that hard for someone to remember if you used three timeouts or not.
3. The NFL is changing the penalty for illegal touching to a lost of downs from the old 5-yard penalty. That penalty definitely accounts for a higher penalty than just a 5-yard penalty. I think the NFL’s new penalty is just right.

I was completely indifferent about the expansion of the horsecollar penalty. Technically speaking yes, grabbing the jersey could do the same thing. But I think there is a grey area in this rule because what about players getting chased from behind. And they still are not doing anything about players getting tackled by their hair. Also a notable non-changed rule is the catch rule. That was one of the main points going into the offseason and the NFL sees no problem in the rule. But the NFL said the wording of the rule is good enough and I believe it is. I think the execution of the rule by the refs is the bad part of the rule.