The NFL offseason is an opportunity for teams to retool and hopefully make a run at the Super Bowl. It also offers an opportunity to introduce new rules that will help their teams gain an edge in the coming season.
According to a Wilmington News Journal article, teams will be proposing seven rule changes at the end of the month. The rule changes will apparently focus on officiating. These rules have apparently been used on the collegiate level, and these should assist the referees in making more accurate decisions.
The Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers lead the call for a big addition to the game in the form of a sky referee. They also talked about adding a senior technology adviser to aid NFL referees with his decision-making process.
Citing competitive equity, pace of play, player health and safety, Baltimore and Los Angeles proposed the adviser “being positioned somewhere other than the playing field, with full communication to on-field officials and access to a television monitor that displays all broadcast angles provided through the NFL’s network independence system.”
They detailed what the senior technology adviser will be doing during the game. The latest addition to the referee team will be in the video booth and have ability to interact with the on-field officials. Said adviser should have on-field experience in order to provide solid insights to the referee.
Philadelphia made four proposals, and one of the most important changes include moving the time allotted to overtimes back to 15 minutes. They also proposed that the team with the more touchdowns be given the ball first in OT.
It’s still uncertain if these rules will be given the green light, but they will surely affect how the NFL is played if they do.
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