other new nfl rules (not sudden death)

[longtimefan]

Some other changes being discussed or putting into place

The NFL owners approved rules yesterday to further protect defenseless players, including ballcarriers who lose their helmets during a play.

Also in Orlando, commissioner Roger Goodell said there was a discussion about scheduling only intradivision games on the final weekend of the season, and placing many such games in Week 16 as well......The league hopes the move will prevent teams from benching their regulars after clinching titles.


The 2010 schedule will be released in April.


The key rules change for player safety bars a defenseless player from being hit in the head or neck area by an opponent who launches himself and uses his helmet, shoulder, or forearm to make contact.



Previously, the league banned those kinds of tackles against receivers who couldn't protect themselves, but now the ban will apply to everyone.


"These are very specific to very vulnerable moments in the game," Lurie said. "There's no reason not to protect these players. There's a history of potentially serious injuries in these types of collisions.


And if a player running with the ball loses his helmet, the whistle will blow immediately and the ball will be placed at the "progress spot" where the helmet came off.

 

[OldSchoolFan]

This is what ended Paul Hornung's career. A vicious, yet clean hit by defensive back Tom Brookshire of the Philadelphia Eagles basically almost paralyzed him.

The guys are getting bigger and faster, and I like this new rule.

 

[longtimefan]

Some more

• The umpire will be stationed behind the offensive backfield rather than in the linebackers area.

• During a field goal or extra point, no player can line up directly across from the snapper. Previously, a player needed to have his helmet outside the snapper's shoulder pads.

• A dead ball personal foul on the final play of the second or fourth quarters will cause a 15-yard penalty on the second-half or overtime kickoff. Previously, no penalty was enforced.

• If a punt returner makes a fair catch signal and muffs the ball, he is entitled to a "reasonable opportunity" to catch the muff before it hits the ground without interference of the coverage team. In case of a penalty, the ball will be placed at the spot of the interference but no yardage marked off.

• When a ball strikes a videoboard (as one punt did last preseason at Cowboys Stadium), guide wire or sky cam, the play is whistled dead and replayed. The game clock is reset to when the play started.

• If the clock is stopped in the final minute of either half for a replay review but would not have stopped without the review, officials will run off 10 seconds before resuming play. Either team can take a timeout to avoid the runoff.

A punter muffs a punt then gets reasonable opportunity to get it?

WTF??

Why not just allow a RB or WR or Q/B the same thing if they fumble?