Changing the Rules archived

 

Each Sunday during the NFL season we examine one of the league rules that shape the game as we know it.

 

Week 4

Helmets

Oct. 2, 2011

The game of professional football is one of the most physically demanding sports to play. Imagine playing the game on any level without a helmet. That is exactly how some players in the early days of the NFL battled on the green gridiron.

The last known player to play without a helmet was Dick Plasman, a two-way lineman for the Chicago Bears. He went helmet-less from 1937 until 1941 when he enlisted in the military to serve during World War II. Plasman played one more year after his service but by then he had to use a helmet. That's because in 1943 the NFL finally got around to making it a requirement. In the 1943 NFL Rule Book, a small note about the requisite was sandwiched in between two separate items about how hard or unyielding knee pads and elbow pads and detachable kicking toes were illegal.

     1943 NFL Rule Book Excerpt

Chicago Bears end Bill Hewitt played all but one season of his Hall of Fame career without a helmet.

Rule 5, Section 3

All players must wear head protectors

The 2011 NFL Rule Book is far more descriptive regarding the wearing of the helmet (which is now also required during pre-game warm-ups).

Rule 5, Section 4, Article 3 - Helmets, face protectors

(a) Helmet with chinstrap (white only) fastened and facemask attached. Facemasks must not be more  than 5/8-inch in diameter and must be made of rounded material; transparent materials are prohibited.

No visible identification of a manufacturer's name or logo on the exterior of a helmet or on any 
attachment to a helmet is permitted unless provided for under a commercial arrangement between the  League and manufacturer; in no event is identification of any helmet manufacturer permitted on the visible surface of a rear cervical pad. All helmets must carry a small NFL shield logo on the rear lower-left exterior and an approved warning label on the rear lower-right exterior. Both labels will be supplied in quantity by the League office.

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Week 3

Instant Replay

Sept. 25, 2011

The 2011 NFL season marks the 13th straight year that there league's current format of Instant Replay has existed. Instant Replay allows each team two challenges per game. A challenge initiates a review of the play in question by the referee at a monitor located on the field. A decision is reversed only when the Referee has indisputable visual evidence to overturn the call. Inside two minutes of each half, all replay challenges are initiated by the Replay Assistant in the booth. In 2011, a change in the Instant Replay format now requires all scoring plays to be reviewed by the Replay Assistant. If there is some doubt about the validity of a score, a challenge is initiated.

      Excerpt from the 2011 NFL Rule Book

      Section 9 Instant Replay

          The League will employ a system of Referee Replay Review to aid officiating for reviewable plays as defined
          below. Prior to the two-minute warning of each half, a Coaches' Challenge System will be in effect except
          for plays when the on-field ruling results in a score for either team. After the two-minute warning of each
          half, throughout any overtime period, and after all scoring plays, a Referee Review will be initiated by a
          Replay Official from a Replay Booth comparable to the location of the coaches' booth or Press Box.

From 1986 to 1991, a limited system on Instant Replay was used on a year-by-year basis. That format gave the Replay Official in the booth sole responsible for initiating replay reviews and making the decision to overturn a call on the field.

NFL's history of Instant Replay reviews:

NFL's history of Instant Replay reviews
REGULAR SEASON, 1986-1991
Year	Games	Plays Reviewed	Reversals
1986	224	374	38
1987	210	490	57
1988	224	537	53
1989	224	492	65
1990	224	504	73
1991	224	570	90
TOTAL	1,330	2,967	376

REGULAR SEASON, 1999-2010
Year	Games	Total Replay Reviews	Challenges	Reversals
1999	248	195	133	57
2000	248	247	179	84
2001	248	258	191	89
2002	256	294	208	94
2003	256	255	184	66
2004	256	283	233	88
2005	256	295	223	92
2006	256	311	237	107
2007	256	327	250	122
2008	256	315	229	117
2009	256	328	228	126
2010	256	361	252	133
TOTAL	3,048	3,469	2,547	1,175

One of the most famous Instant Replay challenges occurred in Super Bowl XLIV. In that game the New Orleans Saints were trailing the Indianapolis Colts 17-16 when the Saints scored on a two-yard pass from Drew Brees to Jeremy Shockey. The go-ahead TD gave the Saints a five-point advantage with 5:46 remaining in the championship matchup. The Saints chose to go for a two-point conversion after the touchdown in an effort to extend their lead to seven points. On the conversion attempt, Brees' pass to a diving Lance Moore was ruled incomplete, but New Orleans coach Sean Payton thought otherwise. He threw a challenge flag and after further review the on-field ruling was overturned which gave the Saints a crucial 24-17 lead. The momentum from the challenge and reversal seemed to lift the Saints as they eventually won their first Super Bowl championship. The Pro Football Hall of Fame now houses that Instant Replay challenge flag (pictured above) as part of its permanent collection.

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Week 2 

Kickoffs

Sept. 18, 2011

The National Football League drew much attention with its rule change in 2011 that has resulted in the KICKOFF BEING MOVED FORWARD FIVE YARDS to the 35-yard line. The main reason behind the change was to help eliminate injuries which had increased on kickoffs over the years. Furthermore, the kicking team formation was altered so all players other than the kicker must be lined up no more than five yards behind the line.

Mel Gray had 3 of the Detroit Lions' league-leading 4 kickoff returns for TDs in 1994.

This is not the first time that the NFL has tinkered with the kickoff line. From 1920 to 1973 the ball was booted at the 40-yard line.

          Excerpt from the 1920 Official Foot Ball Rules printed in the Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide

          Rule VIII, Section 1. – Position of Players at Kick-Off; Point of Kickoff.

                      The side having the kick-off shall kick off from its own 40-yard line at a point equidistant from the side lines.

Then in 1974 the league moved the kickoff back to the 35-yard line.

           Excerpt from the 1974 NFL Rule Book

           Rule 6 – The Free Kick; Section 1 Putting Ball in Play – Article 4

                     The initial free kick lines during a given free kick shall be as follows (plus or minus any distance they might be moved because of a distance
                     penalty enforced prior to the kick):

                     (a) Kickoff – offensive 35

The kickoff remained at that spot for 20 seasons until 1994 when it moved back an additional five yards to the 30-yard line.

            Excerpt from the 1994 NFL Rule Book

            Rule 6 – The Free Kick; Section 1 Putting Ball in Play – Article 4

                     The initial free kick lines during a given free kick shall be as follows (plus or minus any distance they might be moved because of a distance
                     penalty enforced prior to the kick):

                     For the kicking team:

                     (a) Kickoff – offensive 30

There has been much fan debate as to what the effects of the current rule will do to the league's return game. Below is a glance of the NFL's kickoff stats before and after each kickoff yard line change.

Year	Kickoff Yardline	Total Kickoff Returns	Average Returns Per Team	Average Yards Per Return	KOR for TD
1973	40	1,264	48.6	22.5	10
1974	35	1,390	53.5	22.2	4
1993	35	1,381	49.3	19.5	4
1994	30	1,842	65.8	21.2	16
2010	30	2,033	63.5	22.3	23
2011	35	?	?	?	?

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Week 1 

Two point conversion

Sept. 11, 2011

The 2011 National Football League season marks the 18th year that the league has allowed the option of a TWO-POINT CONVERSION following a touchdown. The rival American Football League had used the two-point conversion during the 1960s but it wasn’t adopted by the NFL until the owners meeting
in Orlando, Florida on March 22, 1994.

1994 NFL RULE BOOK Excerpt from Rule 11 (Scoring), Section 3 (Try), Article 1 After a touchdown the scoring team is allowed a Try. This Try is an attempt to score one or two additional points during one scrimmage down with the spot of a snap. (b) if a Try results in what would ordinarily be a touchdown by the offense, two points are awarded. If a touchdown is not scored, the Try is over at the end of the play or if there is a change of possession.

The first successful NFL two-pointer was scored by a punter. Yes, that’s correct. On Sept. 4, 1994 the Cleveland Browns opened their season on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. The Browns scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to running back Leroy Hoard in the first quarter. The Browns then lined up as if they were going to kick an extra point. Tom Tupa, the team’s punter and placekick holder took the snap from center and surprised the defense when he ran the ball into the end zone. The two-point play made the score 11-0 in Cleveland’s favor en route to a Browns 28-20 victory.

The 1994 season saw 59 successful conversions on 116 total attempts. As it turns out, those numbers have never been matched as attempts and successful conversions have been on a downward trend since that time. Last season the league combined for a total of 26 successful two-point conversions off of 53 attempts.

NFL Two-Point Attempt History
Year	Conversion	Attempts	Team High	No.	Att.
1994	59	116	Miami	6	10
1995	40	104	Arizona	5	6
1996	44	92	Baltimore/Jacksonville	5	9/6
1997	47	109	Minnesota	6	8
1998	41	105	San Francisco	5	9
1999	31	84	Jacksonville	4	5
2000	35	85	St. Louis/Detroit	4	9/4
2001	40	90	multiple teams	3	-
2002	47	98	Pittsburgh	5	6
2003	29	66	Baltimore	4	6
2004	37	76	Jacksonville/St. Louis	4	4/4
2005	27	53	Atlanta	4	4
2006	21	41	Tennessee	3	3
2007	30	61	New Orleans	4	5
2008	28	68	multiple teams	2	-
2009	24	60	Green Bay	3	5
2010	26	53	multiple teams	2	-
	606	1,361