Fumbles present great challenges in replay because a swarm of bodies attempting to make a recovery immediately block out the best camera angles. Possession must also be clearly established, so it is important not to incorrectly award a player for momentary control of the loose ball. This has lead to
2020 Rule Changes
Hair extension of rule clarifies existing rule
NFL mandates centerfield logos between the 40-yard lines
Substitutions also affected by position of numerals Sometimes rules changes show up in a place that is least expected. In addition to the standard rules changes voted by owners each year, a few editorial changes are made to the rulebook, some of which are for clarity, while others are actual low-level
No more chains to be lost due to latest rules change
Rule tweak allows for an incomplete pass to be reversed to a catch/fumble even without a clear recovery
No more clock-milking skullduggery in 2020
Embed from Getty Images Starting this season, the NFL will not allow the offense to milk the clock in the fourth quarter by intentionally fouling. The New England Patriots invented the tactic. The Patriots got a taste of their own medicine during last year's wildcard playoff with the Tennessee Titans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsvc9pkZ04 Clock starts on
Clock-draining fix to rules would not adequately address the glaring loophole
Scorecard of the 2020 owners videoconference meetings [live updates]
NFL owners are meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams to discuss many items for the 2020 season, including 9 rules proposals, 3 bylaws changes, and at least 4 policy resolutions. Football Zebras will be updating this post as information is reported on the status of individual agenda items. A brief summary of
Odds are that team rules proposals are paper shredder food
The NFL released the first tranche of modified rules proposals with 7 team-submitted recommendations from the Eagles, Dolphins, Ravens, and Chargers. Typically, the team-backed proposals are dead on arrival; only 4 of the 44 team proposals passed in the last 5 years, plus 2 others that were absorbed into a larger
Future clouded for pass interference replay rule
Don't expect the pass interference (PI) replay rule to survive as is for the 2020 season. And, it remains unclear if any sort of PI replay will be on the books this fall. ESPN reports that members of the NFL Competition Committee "remain skeptical" about the one-year experimental rule. Last year, aggrieved