5 RULE CHANGES THE NFL SHOULD ADOPT

BY ADAM GREENE

We’ve reached the point of the NFL offseason where we can look back at everything that went wrong in NFL officiating in 2021, rend our garments and demand something be done about it. Teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans have already suggested rule changes, specifically about overtime. And we’ll get to that. I have some ideas.

But that’s not only update needed for the old NFL rulebook. Here are my five suggestions on how to make the game significantly better and fairer.

5. THERE SHOULD BE AN EYE IN THE SKY REF THAT CAN THROW A FLAG

The “eye in the sky” originated as a way to enhance player safety. A couple of trainers could view replays and see if a player needed to be evaluated for a concussion after a hit. Last year, to “streamline” the replay process, the NFL could inform the referees on the field that they were reviewing the previous play. Basically, it worked like a coach’s challenge, but the NFL tossed the red flag.

I say go one further. Put a real ref in the “eye in the sky” booth and give him the exact same flagging powers as a ref on the field. Two plays in the Super Bowl show exactly why this is almost a no-brainer at this point.

First, you have the obvious no-call of offensive pass interference on Tee Higgins against Jalen Ramsey that led to the longest touchdown in the game and gave the Cincinnati Bengals the lead. It was the first play from scrimmage after halftime and should have been First and 25 instead of a touchdown and no one would argue otherwise. A sky ref tosses that flag, makes the right call and wipes the touchdown off the board.

But it wasn’t just the Bengals that the lack of a sky ref hurt in the Super Bowl. On a third and goal from the eight, the entire Rams offensive line false started. The on the field refs missed it and Logan Wilson was called for pass interference against Cooper Kupp that set LA up at the one with first and goal.

If the sky ref was there, he/she would have called it and the play would have been dead before the PI. Meaning Los Angeles would have faced third and goal from the 13 on the next play instead of first and goal from the one.

Both of these were game altering missed penalties and you could argue that they cancelled each other out. But, why should we want that? Why would anyone prefer that over a properly officiated game?

You have the replay there with trainers at the ready to stop a play for injury. Just toss a ref in too and problem solved.

4. EVERY PLAY SHOULD BE REVIEWABLE AND EVERY PART OF A PLAY REVIEWABLE

The arbitrary ref screw up saved by a “that call is not reviewable” declaration is one of the more frustrating parts of the sport. Mainly because it’s all arbitrary. The league literally makes up its own rules. If you don’t like so many replays in a game, then hire better, smarter refs. We all know who the sucky ones are. Trust me.

But here’s the flipside of that. When “every play is reviewable,” then every aspect of that play should be reviewable. One of the most famous “no-calls” of recent years was the Rams’ Nickell Robey-Coleman’s blatant missed pass interference against New Orleans Saints receiver TommyLee Lewis in the 2018-19 NFC Championship.

It was egregious and they made PI reviewable the next season because of it, then dumped it.

But, let’s watch the play again in slow motion and see if we can discover any other missed penalties. Focus in on Aaron Donald and play that same clip at 0.25 speed. You saw it. You know you did. A blatant “hands to the face” against Donald by the Saints’

 offensive lineman.

A proper review of that play becomes a do-over. It’s still good for the Saints. It’s third and 10 and not fourth down, but it doesn’t set them up with first and goal at the six like everyone wanted.

If you’re reviewing a play, you review the whole play. Again, we want the fairest possible result. And, if I’m the Saints, I take the do-over instead of fourth down there every time.

3. HEAD COACHES SHOULD NOT LOSE A FLAG FOR A SUCCESSFUL REVIEW

One of the dumbest parts of the current NFL replay system is the red flag system. Each coach gets two reviews per game, but if they use them both and both plays are overturned, then they get a third review flag. If they miss one, they’re out of flags.

The idea is to make the red flag a strategic choice. But here’s the thing, why does a successful replay reversal cost a coach a flag at all? The referees screwed up, not him. He busted them sucking. A successful replay challenge should result in the return of the red flag.

And a coach should be able to toss it and overturn every horrible call (or non-call) that the refs miss until they finally start calling the game correctly.

2. CALL OFFENSIVE HOLDING EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT

There’s an old football cliché you hear at least a couple of times a season. “Referees could call offensive holding on every play.”

Here’s what I say, “then call it.”

If you can’t play by the established rules of the game, you shouldn’t be playing the game. And a guy like the Rams’ Aaron Donald, who leads the league for all-time in uncalled holding penalties is playing by a different set of rules than everyone else.

The Rams are paying him a lot to play within said rules. A called hold is a great defensive play. While the offense keeps their down, they lose 10 yards. It’s almost as good as a sack. So when you have a player like Donald or T,J. Watt or Myles Garrett get held repeatedly, sometimes blatantly, and the refs sit on their flags, it lessens their impact on the game. And the teams are paying them millions of dollars to impact the game.

Frankly, I would get litigious if I were the Rams and Steelers when it comes to this stuff. Aaron Donald is probably about to sign the richest non-QB contract in league history in the coming weeks and he’s earned it. But Los Angeles is not only paying for sacks, hurries and forced fumbles. They’re paying for offensive holding calls. A ref, when he sees a hold and swallows his flag, is stealing money from the Rams.

The rules are the rules. Everyone should be forced to play by them on every down of every game. Even bad offensive linemen and lazy refs who don’t want to call holding 15 times a game. Tough. Do it.

1. OVERTIME RULES NEED A REVAMP

Here we are. The reason you bought your ticket to the show. The overtime rules we all complain about every season need another revamp and I have the perfect solution.

As I mentioned above, the Colts, Chiefs and Eagles have proposed a new overtime that allows both teams to possess the ball.

The Titans have done the same, except if the team with the first possession scores a touchdown and converts a two-point conversion, the game is over.

They’re all on the right track, but they’re not quite there.

Here’s my idea. Both teams get to possess the ball in overtime and the overtime period is back to 15 minutes. Field goals are allowed, but no extra points after touchdowns. You must go for two.

And here’s the secret to the sauce. Here’s what fixes everything instantly — NO PUNTS.

You cannot punt in overtime. You have to go for it on fourth down in every possession.

A game ending in a tie would be almost unheard of. I’m guessing pretty much every game will be solved after two possessions and about four-six minutes of actual game time. Every play would matter. More than that, winning the coin toss wouldn’t mean you automatically win the game as it does for most high powered offenses now.

Instead, the coin toss winning team would most likely kick.

We had one tie this past season, Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Detroit Lions 16. Neither team scored a point in the 10 minute extra period.

Under these new rules, the Lions (who took the ball) probably would have kicked instead. But, let’s say they didn’t. They gained all of 24 yards before punting on a fourth and 16 at the 50.

If they go for it and don’t get it, then the Steelers have the shorter field. They’re already close to field goal range and the game is probably over.

Our epic 42-36 Chiefs victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round is the driving force this season for a rule change. It doesn’t end with KC scoring a TD. They have to score and convert a two-point conversion. Then the Bills get the ball and have to do the same to keep the game going. It’s fair. Everyone plays under the exact same rules.

I would have watched the hell out of that. And loved it.

So, there you go. I have fixed professional football and you didn’t even have to tip me.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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