The NFL off-season has been underway for some time and new rule changes have come and gone. Let’s take a look at some of the new rules that have been changed and some that are still being discussed.
First, we will take a look at the rule changes that have been passed and what that means for the next season. The NFL owners have approved the change of overtime from a 15 minute quarter to 10 minutes. Their reasoning for these changes are as follows, “The proposal was made with safety in mind in that the shorter OT period would limit extra snaps,” via ESPN. Last season six overtime games lasted longer than 10 minutes, the second most in NFL history. The changes may end up resulting in more ties which, in turn, hurt teams when it comes to playoff chances.
*Update: NFL Owners also vote to push back Los Angeles Rams hosting Super Bowl 55 in 2021 to Super Bowl 56 in 2022, due to due to stadium delays.
The next set of rules that have been changed are in regards to the NFL roster cuts. After the final preseason game, teams will now cut the roster from 90 players down to 53. The previous rule was that after the 3rd preseason game, teams would cut down to 75 and then to 53 after the final game. This rule change allows more players to have a shot at making the final 53 man roster and being able to live out their dream on an NFL team. The challenge with this is, teams and coaches will have a harder job informing players of their departure and this may result in players finding out they are cut from outside sources instead of the team.
A rule that is expected to go into effect will be the NFL relaxing its stance on celebrations. The rule currently has banned almost all celebrations which has led to more penalties and fines during the season last year. The different celebrations that will be allowed are ground celebrations and celebrations in groups. Players will also be able to use the football to celebrate. Roger Goodell stated, “We know that you love the spontaneous displays of emotion that come after a spectacular touchdown and players have told us they want more freedom to be able to express themselves and celebrate their athletic achievements.” Oveall, this will be good for a league that has been dubbed the “No Fun” league. More fans will enjoy the game and will celebrate along with the players. Some celebrations will still be outlawed. Goodell said, “Offensive demonstrations, celebrations that are prolonged and delay the game, and those directed at an opponent, will still be penalized.” So sadly no twerking for you, Antonio Brown.
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