NEW NFL RULES FOR 2011 - Ingles

A number of playing-rules changes were approved by NFL clubs during the spring.
The focus of those changes was enhancing player safety.
“We want to make the game safer both for the player being tackled and the player making the tackle,” says
NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations RAY ANDERSON (right). “We have no higher priority
than player safety.”

The 2011 changes:

UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS: Three adjustments were made to the unnecessary roughness rule in the interests of player safety and competitive fairness:

- Existing unnecessary roughness rules have been standardized and protection for defenseless players has been expanded, including additional safeguards for defenseless receivers, players who receive “blindside” blocks and quarterbacks, kickers and punters on changes of possession. All unnecessary roughness violations result in a 15- yard penalty.

- Illegal “launching,” which has been defined as a player leaving both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into an opponent and delivering a blow with any part of the helmet, has been prohibited. “Our intent with launching was trying to make a uniform rule that applied everywhere on the field to every player,” says NFL Competition Committee Chair and Atlanta Falcons President RICH MC KAY.

- Roughing the passer rules have been clarified so hits to the head of a passer by an opponent’s hands, arms, or other parts of the body will not result in fouls unless they are forcible blows.

KICKOFFS: Due to an increasing number of injuries on kickoffs, several rules have been changed to make those plays safer for both the kicking and receiving teams. The kicking team’s restraining line has been moved to its own 35-yard line.
The kicking team formation for kickoffs has also been adjusted so all players other than the kicker must be lined up no more than five yards behind their restraining line. Illegal formation violations result in a five-yard penalty.

INSTANT REPLAY: Two adjustments were made to instant replay procedures in the interest of competitive fairness:

- The replay official will now initiate reviews of all scoring plays throughout the game from the booth, allowing confirmation of all scoring plays and providing more flexibility to coaches in the use of their challenges. “This proposal is what I would call a modernization of instant replay,” says McKay.

- Teams will now be penalized 15 yards for initiating a challenge after a foul that prevents the next snap. This prevents a team from challenging the previous play if it commits a pre-snap foul.

DEAD BALL PERSONAL FOULS: Dead ball personal fouls by either team at the end of a half will now be enforced on the ensuing kickoff of the third quarter, eliminating the extension of a half after a five- or 15-yard penalty enforcement that includes a dead ball personal foul against the defense. This ensures consistent enforcement for all dead-ball personal fouls on both the offense and defense in these situations.

PLAYING FIELD COLOR: Absent prior approval from NFL, the surface of the entire field must be a league-approved shade of green, preserving the uniform appearance of all NFL games.

There will also be points of emphasis on several existing rules this season (although the rules themselves have not changed):

-All rules that encourage player safety will continue to be strictly enforced, including runners grasping the facemask of defensive players, horse-collar tackles, chop blocks and clipping. The focus will be on eliminating these tactics from the game.

- The rules pertaining to what constitutes a completed catch were reviewed by the Competition Committee and language was added to the rulebook to further clarify the guidelines. In order to complete a catch, a player must first have a firm grip and control of the ball, then two feet or some other part of his body other than his hands on the ground. After these first two requirements have been met, he must maintain control of the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game (e.g. being able to pitch, pass, or advance the ball). It is not necessary for the player to commit one of those acts, provided he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so. The committee also confirmed the traditional standard that if a player is going to the ground in the process of making a catch, he must maintain control throughout the entire process of contacting the ground.