FanPost

2008 NFL Rule Changes

As games get closer, here's a review of the rule changes for this year.  You know...  So you're not screaming at the referee saying, "But he was PUSHED out!"  Only to have a nearby ten-year-old tell you the rule has changed.

  • No "force-out" rule anymore.  For a completion, you have to get your feet in whether you're hit or not.  Exception: If the defender wraps both arms around the receiver and "carries" [my word] him out, the play can still be called a catch.  Apparently, the league didn't want Derrick Johnson grabbing a receiver who's in the air in the middle of the field and running off the field with him before he put him down.
  • One defender on the field can have a radio earpiece.  Only two defensive players get this privilege for the game.  And when the play clock hits 15, the radio is turned off.   That's been true on offense, but can't say I knew that.  I guess it's so the coach isn't  yelling, "I'm open!" into the QB's ear while the play is going on.
  • No 5-yard incidental face mask penalties any more.  Only the 15-yard variety for twisting, turning or pulling. 
  • If you win the coin toss, you can defer your choice to the second half, like college football.
  • Dropped forward hand-offs and all botched snaps (whether or not they contact the quarterback) are now considered fumbles.  Hmm... Can't say that I knew they weren't fumbles.  Just take care of the ball, guys.
  • Refs are now allowed to look under the hood and watch the replay of a field goal to make sure the right call is made (as long as the ball flies lower than the top of the uprights).  ...You remember the weird one from last year that went through the uprights and over the crossbar (good!), but then hit the curved support piece and bounced back out.  The initial signal was "no good" and the Ravens went to the locker room thinking they had a win.  Technically, the guys in stripes weren't supposed to consider the video evidence that everyone else in the world could see.  Somehow the ref worded the decision in a way that overturned the initial call without implying that the replay had any effect on their decision.  Nice job.

References: Wikipedia and Palm Beach Post.  Also, http://www.nfl.com/rulebook

 

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.