NFL Owners Make Safety Changes and One Replay Change
The NFL owners have agreed to changes in rules for both safety and replays. The owners voted to prevent another situation like the Julian Edelman one in the Super Bowl giving a third party the power to stop the game if a player seems to be disoriented.
The league made an announcement that its owners voted to have a certified athletic trainer in each NFL stadium that can call medical timeouts if players at any time appear disoriented.
Last month, Julian Edelman a New England wide receiver appeared disoriented after a hard hit by Kam Chancellor of the Seahawks. However, Edelman stayed on the field and eventually caught New England’s winning touchdown pass.
The new rule states a spotter at each game would communicate with the game’s side judge if it is determined that a player is showing visual signs of being disoriented or unstable.
Neither of the teams would be charged a timeout and teams can then replace the player affected only during that stoppage. The opposition could also substitute one player to offset the new player who replaces the injured one.
That was one of just five safety rules approved on Tuesday by the owners. They changed rules for peel back blocks to include all players on the offense being penalized and not just those within the tackle box.
The owners also added a new rule that protects receivers, extending the protection if the pass is intercepted and the intended receiver remains unable to protect himself from being hit.
The owners also made it illegal for a running back outside the area of the tight end to chop a player on the defense that is engaged above the waist by another player on the offense.
Pushing teammates on the line of scrimmage on field goals and punts is now illegal as well.
The owners tabled a proposal for having fixed cameras on each sideline, end lines and the goal lines designed to supplement the cameras from the broadcast network guaranteeing each play will have complete coverage regardless of network camera locations.
In addition, the owners added a replay review for the game clock at the end of each half, game or an overtime if more than 1 second remains on the clock to determine if more time is left than what shows. In all 13 replay alterations were proposed and only this one passed.
Others were to increase the number of challenges by coaches and letting them challenge officials calls.
The owners will discuss additional rule change proposals Wednesday including the possibility of changes where the ball will be spotted for an attempt of an extra point.
