Rules Changes That will take effect with the 2008
Good Bye Force Out - NFL receivers will no longer be credited with a catch if they are forced out of bounds. Under the new rule, game officials will not have to determine if a receiver was forced out on a reception. The receiver will have to have both feet inbounds for a legal catch - LV’s take: I say good riddance to the “force out” rule as too often officials (part-time older guys with some having problems keeping up with the fast pace of the NFL game) miss the call or didn’t apply the “true” interpretation of rule - Remember the bad call in Week 13 by Side judge Joe Larrew where he ruled Browns TE Kellen Winslow’s 37-yard apparent game-winning touchdown catch on the last play of the game was not a “force out” even though Cardinals Oliver Celestin and Antrel Rolle pushed him out before he could get his second foot down.
Defense Gets Their Radio Too - In move that everyone hopes will stop the problem stealing defensive signals, the league approved a communication device for defenses. Now like quarterbacks the defensive signal caller can have contact with their coach. Only one player on the field of play for the defense can have the device and the radio helmet is not to be used on special teams. LV’s Take: I really like that the NFL finally is giving the same communication advantages to the defense and I will not even go into the whole Spygate thing.
Big Brother can now look at Field Goals and Extra Points - Now officials can use replay to look at whether a field goal or extra point or was good or not. Thank Goodness in week 11 the officials correctly called Browns Kicker Phil Dawson’s 51-yard game-tying field goal versus the Ravens correctly without replay even though it hit the pole behind the cross bar and went back in the field of play. LV’s Take: Short and Simple, I like that the officials can be assisted further since you know “how” confident I am in their abilities.
All Facemask Penalties are Big Ones - The league eliminated the 5-yard penalty for incidental contact with a facemask. This was another ambiguous call that too often left it up to the referee to judge intent. LV’s Take: I know defensive guys will not be happy about this rule and I am going to take a wait and see approach. However I am leery since too often I have seen runners turn their head and a defender’s finger gets caught in an offensive player’s cage not on purpose. With all face mask calls being 15 yarders look for some controversial calls. Also please call this on offensive players as well as too often stiff arms turn into grasping the face mask (see old tapes of Emmitt Smith)
The Coin Flip Goes Back to College - The league decided to follow the suit of college football in allowing teams winning the opening coin toss to have the ability to defer their decision until the second half. LV’s Take: I like that now coin-toss can be a more strategic event and I can’t wait to see a rogue coach like Tampa Bay Bucs head man Jon Gruden steely telling his captain “Wait until the second half”.
A Roller from the Center is Now a “Live Ball” - The ball will be ‘live’ any time it is snapped by the center without touching the quarterback instead of the team being assessed a false-start penalty. This rule stems from this year’s Eagles-Bears game where Bears Center Olin Kreutz flubbed a snap to quarterback Brian Griese and the Eagles recovered on an apparent game-changing play. Unfortunately to the Birds’ fans dismay the ball went back to Bears on a “false start”. I can still see the bewilderment amongst all of us in the pressbox as the referee explained the play. LV’s Take: Good as I thought it was ridiculous that a ball could be basically fumbled and given back to the offense.
Good Bye Force Out - NFL receivers will no longer be credited with a catch if they are forced out of bounds. Under the new rule, game officials will not have to determine if a receiver was forced out on a reception. The receiver will have to have both feet inbounds for a legal catch - LV’s take: I say good riddance to the “force out” rule as too often officials (part-time older guys with some having problems keeping up with the fast pace of the NFL game) miss the call or didn’t apply the “true” interpretation of rule - Remember the bad call in Week 13 by Side judge Joe Larrew where he ruled Browns TE Kellen Winslow’s 37-yard apparent game-winning touchdown catch on the last play of the game was not a “force out” even though Cardinals Oliver Celestin and Antrel Rolle pushed him out before he could get his second foot down.
Defense Gets Their Radio Too - In move that everyone hopes will stop the problem stealing defensive signals, the league approved a communication device for defenses. Now like quarterbacks the defensive signal caller can have contact with their coach. Only one player on the field of play for the defense can have the device and the radio helmet is not to be used on special teams. LV’s Take: I really like that the NFL finally is giving the same communication advantages to the defense and I will not even go into the whole Spygate thing.
Big Brother can now look at Field Goals and Extra Points - Now officials can use replay to look at whether a field goal or extra point or was good or not. Thank Goodness in week 11 the officials correctly called Browns Kicker Phil Dawson’s 51-yard game-tying field goal versus the Ravens correctly without replay even though it hit the pole behind the cross bar and went back in the field of play. LV’s Take: Short and Simple, I like that the officials can be assisted further since you know “how” confident I am in their abilities.
All Facemask Penalties are Big Ones - The league eliminated the 5-yard penalty for incidental contact with a facemask. This was another ambiguous call that too often left it up to the referee to judge intent. LV’s Take: I know defensive guys will not be happy about this rule and I am going to take a wait and see approach. However I am leery since too often I have seen runners turn their head and a defender’s finger gets caught in an offensive player’s cage not on purpose. With all face mask calls being 15 yarders look for some controversial calls. Also please call this on offensive players as well as too often stiff arms turn into grasping the face mask (see old tapes of Emmitt Smith)
The Coin Flip Goes Back to College - The league decided to follow the suit of college football in allowing teams winning the opening coin toss to have the ability to defer their decision until the second half. LV’s Take: I like that now coin-toss can be a more strategic event and I can’t wait to see a rogue coach like Tampa Bay Bucs head man Jon Gruden steely telling his captain “Wait until the second half”.
A Roller from the Center is Now a “Live Ball” - The ball will be ‘live’ any time it is snapped by the center without touching the quarterback instead of the team being assessed a false-start penalty. This rule stems from this year’s Eagles-Bears game where Bears Center Olin Kreutz flubbed a snap to quarterback Brian Griese and the Eagles recovered on an apparent game-changing play. Unfortunately to the Birds’ fans dismay the ball went back to Bears on a “false start”. I can still see the bewilderment amongst all of us in the pressbox as the referee explained the play. LV’s Take: Good as I thought it was ridiculous that a ball could be basically fumbled and given back to the offense.
