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Kevin Seifert
multiple authors
The NFL Competition Committee has finalized a series of sweeping rule change proposals amid the looming possibility of a work stoppage amid tense collective bargaining negotiations with the NFL Referees Association, according to a list released Tuesday by the league.
The changes will only go into effect if the NFL hires replacement officials, a process it began preparing for earlier this month by reaching out to mostly small-college officiating supervisors in an effort to develop a list of 150 replacement candidates. The NFLRA’s current CBA is set to expire on May 31.
If the work stoppage continues into the regular season, the new rules will create a type of centralized officiating system that the league hopes will help prevent the chaos that unfolded in 2012, when replacement officials worked the first three weeks of the season. While each game will still be officiated from the field, staff members at the league’s Art McNally Gameday Central Command Center in New York will be allowed to consider a variety of called and uncalled penalties and play additional roles after the two-minute warning and in overtime.
NFL owners will discuss and possibly vote on the changes at their annual meeting in Phoenix next week. All rule changes require approval from at least 24 of the league’s 32 teams.
According to wording released Tuesday by the NFL, league staff members can alert a replacement referee if they see clear and obvious evidence of unprovoked foul play, such as harassing the passer, intentional grounding or any act that would normally lead to a disqualification.
Those staff members will also be allowed to alert the replacement referee that a flag should not be thrown if there is clear and unambiguous video evidence that “at least an element of foul is not present,” according to the verbiage. Fouls eligible for this warning include: twisting, pulling or bending the face mask; harassing a passerby; intentional grounding; horse-collar tackle; illegal contact; pass interference; And disqualification.
In 2019, the NFL conducted a one-year experiment in which pass interference was subject to replay review. The effort stalled amid confusion over the standards for overturning a decision on the field. In Tuesday’s proposal, the competition committee limited a league staff member’s involvement to only situations where “the feet are inadvertently entangled when both players are playing the ball or when neither player is playing the ball.”
Additionally, after the two-minute warning or in overtime, the list of called or uncalled penalties that league staff members may award to the referee will expand to include unsportsmanlike conduct based on punching or kicking an opponent. During kicks, league staff members may also consult on leverage and jumping rules.
Finally, throughout the game, league staff members can assist in understanding whether a foul should be classified as roughing or running into the kicker.
Speaking to ESPN last week, NFLRA executive director Scott Green He said he was surprised the NFL would consider using replacement officials. Given the potential threat to players’ safety as well as what they said was an increasing sensitivity to gambling. In a statement to ESPN, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said in part: The league was “forced” to begin considering alternatives. Because “in nearly two years of negotiations, the union has made no effort to work with us on a goal we should all share – ensuring a stewardship culture that is centered around performance and accountability.”
The competition committee also proposed:
• A rule that, regardless of whether there are replacement officials, allows referees to consult with league staff members as to whether the penalized action was “egregious” and should result in a disqualification. It would also allow league staff members to disqualify a player for an unsportsmanlike conduct, even if he was not flagged on the field. After this, fine will also be imposed.
• Allowing teams to declare an onside kick at any time in the game regardless of the score. Currently, teams can only use an onside kick if they are trailing.
• Closing a loophole that encouraged teams to intentionally keep kickoffs out of bounds from the 50-yard line due to penalties on the opponent.
• Revised kickoff alignment requirements for the receiving team.
• Adjusting roster cut dates and procedures to account for international games in the first week of the season.
• first, the cleveland browns Was There is a proposal to allow teams to trade draft picks up to five years into the future.Up from the current level of three.
