The League Meetings kick off in Orlando this weekend, and there are plenty of items for owners and executives to discuss.
The NFL Competition Committee announced 10 new rule proposals, 12 new bylaw proposals and four resolution proposals on a conference call Friday. The owners will vote early next week at the meetings on the potential changes.
2018 Playing Rules Proposals
1. By Competition Committee: Makes permanent the playing rule that changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line.
2. By Competition Committee: Changes standard for a catch.
"We tried to simplify the rule and tried to make it a very definable three-step process, which is control, meaning a clean catch of the ball, two feet down or a body part, and then do anything with the ball that shows it's a football act. That could be reaching for a goal line. That could be reaching for a first-down line. That could be tucking the ball away," Falcons President and CEO and Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay said in the call.
3. By Competition Committee: Makes the penalties for illegal batting and kicking the same.
4. By Los Angeles Chargers: Amends Rule 15, Section 2, Article 5 to add fouls for roughing the passer and fouls against players in a defenseless posture as reviewable plays in the instant replay system.
5. By Washington: Amends Rule 15, Section 2, Article 5 to add review of personal fouls as reviewable plays in the instant replay system.
6. By New York Jets: Amends Rule 8, Section 5, Articles 1-4 to change the enforcement for defensive pass interference (spot foul or 15-yard penalty).
"Over the last 15 years the average (pass interference penalties called) is 234," McKay said. "This year we had 303. Penalties over 50 yards this year, there was one. Penalties over 45 yards, there were three. Penalties over 40, there were seven. That's 11 calls that were over 40 yards. Those are major penalties, we all understand that, but that's 11 out of 40,000 plays and out of 17,000 passes.
"The great majority of these calls come within 20 yards, for certain, but there are some that come on the other end. We looked hard at that, we had a lot of discussion about that, and it will be an interesting discussion on the floor on DPI (defensive pass interference)."
7. By Competition Committee: Authorizes the designated member of the officiating department to instruct on-field game officials to disqualify a player for a flagrant non-football act when a foul for that act is called on the field.
8. By Competition Committee: Conforms the amount of time in which a team must challenge a play if there is a television commercial break following the play in question.
9. By Competition Committee: Eliminates the requirement that a team who scores a winning touchdown at the end of regulation of a game to kick the extra point or go for two-point conversion.
10. By Competition Committee: If there is a turnover, a team may win an overtime game, even though it scores on its second possession.
2018 Bylaw Proposals
1. By Competition Committee: Makes permanent the liberalization of rules for timing, testing, and administering physical examinations to draft-eligible players at a club's facility.
2. By Buffalo: For one year only, amends Article XVII, Section 17.4 to liberalize the rule for reacquisition of a player assigned via waivers.
3. By Buffalo: For one year only, amends Article XVII, Section 17.6 to liberalize the procedures for players placed on Reserve/Retired.
4. By Denver: Amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 to permit clubs to trade players from Reserve/Injured.
5. By Miami: Amends Article XVII, Section 17.1 to remove the requirement that a non-vested player be placed on waivers to be removed from the 90-player roster prior to the roster reduction to 53 players.
6. By Minnesota: Amends Article XVIII, Section 18.1 to replace the 10-day postseason claiming period with a 24-hour period.
7. By San Francisco, Arizona, and Los Angeles Chargers: Reduces the competitive equity that exists between teams who have morning body clock start times on long road trips.
8. By Competition Committee: Permits coaches to review video displayed on league-issued tablets on the sidelines and in the coaches' booth.
9. By Competition Committee: A player who is designated for return is eligible to be activated after eight games, not eight weeks.
10. By Competition Committee: Lengthens the period to execute an Injury Settlement from five business days to seven business days.
11. By Competition Committee: Changes the deadline to reinstate players from certain Reserve List categories.
12. By Competition Committee: Updates Reserve/Military List procedures to reflect the current League calendar.
2018 Resolution Proposals
1. By Washington: Allows opposing teams to receive the league's postgame responses to any officiating inquiries submitted by either team.
2. By San Francisco: Requires all NFL stadiums by 2021 to have three separate and permanent locker rooms to be exclusively designated for female football staff on game days as follows: game officials, home club staff members, and visiting club staff members.
3. By Competition Committee: Permits a club to negotiate and sign a head coach candidate during the postseason prior to the conclusion of the employer club's season.
4. By Competition Committee: For one year only, permits an interested club to contact a Vested Veteran before clubs have been notified of the player's termination via the Player Personnel Notice if (i) the players is not subject to the Waivers System and, (ii) the employer club has publicly announced the player's release.
