Approved NFL Rules Changes for 2024
By Detroit; amends Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1, to protect a club’s ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge.
By Competition Committee; amends Rule 14, Section 5 Article 2, to allow for an enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession in a situation where there are fouls by both teams.
By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, Section 3, Article 3, to include a ruling of passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass as a reviewable play.
By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9, to allow a replay review when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap.
By Competition Committee; amends Rule 12, Section 2, to eliminate a potentially dangerous tackling technique. It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
-grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and
-unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.
-Penalty: For a Hip-Drop Tackle: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
By Competition Committee; for one year only, amends Rule 6, to create a new form of a free kick that is designed to: (1) resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed; and (2) promote more returns. Permits the Replay Official to automatically review whether a free kick legally touched the ground or a receiving player in the landing zone.
Some of the schematic details:
-kicker kicks from his own 35-yard line
-all 10 members of coverage team lines up on opponent’s 40-yard line
-receiving team lines up five yards away on 35-yard line
-as many as two returners line up between goal line and 20-yard line (the “Landing Zone”)
-kick must land in the “Landing Zone.”
-kicking team can’t leave until ball lands in “Landing Zone.”
-a kick that either goes out of bounds or lands short of the 20-yards line will be awarded to the receiving team at the 40-yard line.
-a kick that goes into the end zone for a touchback will be awarded to the receiving team at the 30-yard line.
Approved Bylaws for 2024
By Detroit: amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 (C) of the Constitution & Bylaws, to provide clubs with an unlimited number of designated for return transactions in the postseason.
By Pittsburgh: amends Article XVI, Section 16.6 of the Constitution & Bylaws, to move the trading deadline to the Tuesday after Week 9 games.
By Competition Committee; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 (C), to permit each club to place a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable Reserve List on the business day of the final roster reduction to be designated for return. Such players will immediately count as two of the club’s total designations.
By Competition Committee; amends Article XVII, Section 17.3, to expand the Standard Elevation rules to permit clubs to elevate a bona fide Quarterback an unlimited number of times from its practice squad to its Active List to be its Emergency Third Quarterback.
Approved Resolutions for 2024
By Buffalo; to make the injury reporting rules for players who do not travel with their clubs to games away from their home city competitively fairer.
By Jacksonville; expands the 2023 preseason trial of providing a specific Hawk-Eye feed in the coaches booth for the 2024 preseason with full implementation for the 2025 season.
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A couple thoughts:
The Hip-Drop Tackle:
There’s been a good deal of complaining from defensive players and fans with this rule change. I don’t even recall when the Hip-Drop became a frequent tackling technique in the NFL. Its potential for injury is similar to that of the horse-collar tackle. No one seems to be debating whether that should be illegal. As with players that can’t seem to figure out how to tackle without leading with their helmet (Kerby Joseph and Kareem Jackson), just wrap up the ball-carrier. Watch a rugby game. Defensive players don’t have to tackle ball-carriers with techniques designed to injure.
The Competition Committee could spend some time looking at offensive tactics that are designed to injure. Chop blocks.
The Kickoff Change:
It’s going to take some time getting used to this freaky formation but the return of kick returns is promising. I’m excited to see this thing in action.
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