NFL rule changes

[EEich]

*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.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by EEich

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

Really? That'll be weird.

[BrudLee]

Originally Posted by EEich

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

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

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by BrudLee

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

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.

[MTK]

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.

[sportscurmudgeon]

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

[EEich]

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.

[saden1]

practice squad players don't account against the cap.

[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...

[skinsfanthru&thru]

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?

[JoeRedskin]

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

[BrudLee]

Originally Posted by 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...

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.

[skinsfanthru&thru]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

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

thanks JoeRedskin

[sportscurmudgeon]

BrudLee:

10-4.

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

[cpayne5]

*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;

I don't like this rule change.