NFL rule changes
 

*NFL owners adopted a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebrations. The penalty will be in addition to fines previously in place for choreographed and multiplayer celebrations. The infractions are considered unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The yardage will be marched off from the spot at the end of the previous play or, after a score, on the ensuing kickoff. If the infraction is flagrant, the player will be ejected;

*increased the size of practice squads from five to eight players;

*allowed head coaches or any player to call a timeout;

*extended the five-day period immediately after the season ends for interviewing assistant coaches to seven days, or the conclusion of the wild-card round. The policy also now will cover high-level front office positions;

*made a punt or missed field goal untouched by the receiving team a dead ball once it touches the end zone or touches a kicking team player in the end zone;

*modified free kick, fair catch and personal foul rules;

*allowed wide receivers to wear Nos. 10 through 19 even when numbers in the 80s are available.

[QUOTE=EEich]*allowed wide receivers to wear Nos. 10 through 19 even when numbers in the 80s are available.[/QUOTE]

Really? That'll be weird.

[QUOTE=EEich]*increased the size of practice squads from five to eight players[/QUOTE]

That is huge. To have an extra three players ready to go could be the biggest change this year.

[QUOTE=BrudLee]That is huge. To have an extra three players ready to go could be the biggest change this year.[/QUOTE]
I agree. This plays right into the hands of Gibbs' old method of grooming players on the practice squad. He's got to love that-- three more young guys he can keep around without having to account for them on the active roster.

They put that practice squad rule in place just in time for Gibbs that's for sure. I'm sure he'll take full advantage of it.

What about the salary cap implications of carrying three more players?

If you're paying someone on the practice squad more than the minimum... you're doing something wrong. Only the top 51 salaries count against the cap. Shouldn't be an issue.

practice squad players don't account against the cap.

I need a "cap rules" tutorial please. Is Crazy Canuck in the house?

Scenario 1. Joe Flabeetz is on the practice squad. He gets paid $50K to show up and work out and practice. That does or does not count against the team salary cap?

Scenario 2. Joe Flabeetz has been on the practice squad earning his $50K. It may or may not count against the cap depending on the answer to #1 above. Due to a rash of injuries, Joe Flabeetz has to be activated to the actual team. His salary now goes up to the league minimum (let's say $250K for example). It is the eighth week of the year and he is on the squad for the rest of the season. Does he count as $125K against the cap (half of $250K)? Or does he count $250K? Or do they prorate what he made on the practice squad?

Scenario 3. Joe Flabeetz is on the practice squad earning his $50K. He gets activated for Week 6. So he now has a contract for $250K. He stinks out the joint in the game on week 6 and is sent back to the practice squad. Does he count as 1/16th of $250K for cap purposes?

Thanks in advance...

think this might lead to more teams doing what spurrier and a couple other teams did with having only 2 qbs on the active roster and using the practice squad to hold onto your 3rd stringer? it'd allow for the team to have more active lineman/linebackers(who r the most commonly hurt players) or more likely for our team db's, which I'm sure Williams would love. We'd also be able to hold onto more players we liked from training camp that we'd prefer not to allow other teams to have.

plus has any definition been placed on whats a flagrant celebration? isn't that a penalty based on individual opinion?

what was modified about the fair catch and personal fouls?

I hope they stop treating the qbs like kids cuz I can remember atleast 3 or 4 bad personal foul calls for roughing the pasher against the skins over the past couple years and they always seemed to occur on a 3rd down play where the defense had held up the opposing team.

I also wasn't aware that only certain players could call timeout? does anyone know which players were in control of doing so?

Previously, only the captains (and I think the quarterback even if not a captain) could call time[outs.

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]I need a "cap rules" tutorial please. Is Crazy Canuck in the house?

Scenario 1. Joe Flabeetz is on the practice squad. He gets paid $50K to show up and work out and practice. That does or does not count against the team salary cap?

Scenario 2. Joe Flabeetz has been on the practice squad earning his $50K. It may or may not count against the cap depending on the answer to #1 above. Due to a rash of injuries, Joe Flabeetz has to be activated to the actual team. His salary now goes up to the league minimum (let's say $250K for example). It is the eighth week of the year and he is on the squad for the rest of the season. Does he count as $125K against the cap (half of $250K)? Or does he count $250K? Or do they prorate what he made on the practice squad?

Scenario 3. Joe Flabeetz is on the practice squad earning his $50K. He gets activated for Week 6. So he now has a contract for $250K. He stinks out the joint in the game on week 6 and is sent back to the practice squad. Does he count as 1/16th of $250K for cap purposes?

Thanks in advance...[/QUOTE]
For the purposes of the cap, only the 53 active roster players count towards the figure (not including dead money). The practice squad players can be activated by your team, but when "returned" to the practice squad, they are actually cut, then re-signed to the squad. During that time, anyone can sign them - that's the reason we kept Sultan McCullough on the active roster last year. The salary is pro-rated for the duration of the roster stay.

[QUOTE=JoeRedskin]Previously, only the captains (and I think the quarterback even if not a captain) could call time[outs.[/QUOTE]


thanks JoeRedskin

BrudLee:

10-4.

Thanx for the explanation; I did not know how they counted against the cap when they were activated/deactivated.

[quote]
*made a punt or missed field goal untouched by the receiving team a dead ball once it touches the end zone or touches a kicking team player in the end zone; [/quote]

I don't like this rule change.

I like the new rules! I was getting tierd of the endzone dancing. I wish they would fix OT. So you don't lose by a coin toss.

[QUOTE=Riggo44]I like the new rules! I was getting tierd of the endzone dancing. I wish they would fix OT. So you don't lose by a coin toss.[/QUOTE]

What changes would you make to fix OT? I think if you win the coin toss you can't win on a field goal on the first drive. You have to win by a touchdown

Where can I get a Joe Flabeetz jersey!

Matty:

I'm in the process of silk screening a bunch of them in my basement as we speak.

They're on sale this week. You get two for nothing.

But only as long as supplies last! :)

Nice!

Sign me up!

another rule change is stricter enforcment of illegal contact and pass interference on the DB's. hopefully William's defenses don't require bump and run coverages.

I also think a better way to have changed the instant replay rules would be to allow a team to keep their challenges that r upheld. plus I can't remember who suggested it on tv, but I also like the idea of having three officials in 3 different booths being the reviewers of instant replay and that way it's not just in one person's(who's on the field with the players and maybe even possibly swayed by the fans) hands.

I agree about the review stuff. I've always wondered why they have the ref go "under the hood" like that on the field. It can't be the best way to watch replays. Why not have one (or more) reviewers in a booth, where that's their only job? Isn't that the way the NHL does it?

As for the restrictions on DBs, I think Williams plays a lot of complex cover-2 zone, so he may not require as much bump and run coverage. I think this will hurt the cowboys way more. I thought their DBs held a TON last season. But in any event, this will help our receivers, just like everybody else.

It bothers me a bit that the NFL is constantly trying to set it's rules after listening to uneducated football fans and press complain about low scoring...saying the game is boring. I think games are at their best when the defense and offense are evenly getting the best of each other. A defense-less 54-49 score game is boring to me. It is like the probowl game.
With that said, I am ok with the league looking to enforce the the no contact rule after 5 yards on receivers...as long as it equal. Receivers constantly over the years get away with pushing off the CB's right before they make their cut or when the ball is in the air(Michael Irvin made a career out of it).
Holding by the offensive lineman occurs on almost every play and is almost never called fairly.
The rules need to be evenly enforced for the offense and defense.
The League needs to stop creating/changing rules to favor the offense so the short attention span fan will enjoy the game. You know the fan I am talking about, the one that only cheers and pays attention when a touchdown is scored. Then proceeds to ignore the rest of the game.

[QUOTE=Defensewins]I am ok with the league looking to enforce the the no contact rule after 5 yards on receivers...as long as it equal. Receivers constantly over the years get away with pushing off the CB's right before they make their cut or when the ball is in the air(Michael Irvin made a career out of it).[/QUOTE]

I completely agree and hope to see less recievers being able to push off especially since the enforcement of the illegal contact goes heavily in their favor(Imagine how different Moss would have to play.) How much do u guys think this will change players like Ty Law and even Champ's production? that trade's looking even better to me after this rule change. and like others, including ESPN, mentioned, the expanded practice squads seems almost like it was passed for coaches like Gibbs.

I was thinking that too, skins fan. If it's real hard to play CB, no matter who you are, than overpaying for Champ was a mistake for Denver.

But maybe Champ will be one of the few corners who can still cover! Than he may pay off.