NFL owners will have a bevy of new Rules, new league-wide bylaws and new regulations to vote on at next week’s owner’s meeting in Arizona. The proposed-league rules changes include everything from an opt-out option for team’s who don’t want to wear the “color rush” jerseys to whether or not a player can leap over the line of scrimmage on a field goal.
While the competition committee proposed the majority of the new ideas, four teams also submitted proposals including the Redskins, Eagles, Bills and Seahawks.
Rule Proposals
The Redskins were responsible for submitting several ideas including eliminating the 3 challenge limit per team.
The rule would also remove the requirement that the team be successful on both of its first 2 challenges in order to be given a 3rd challenge. Washington also proposed an idea that would reward kickers by moving the line of scrimmage to the 20-yard line for touch-backs when the kick-off travels through the uprights on the goalpost.
The owners will also vote on rules about jumping over the line of scrimmage, challenging officials decisions, reducing overtime to ten minutes, defense-less player determinations and the banning of crack back blocks out of the backfield. The league has had it's issues the last few years but has maintained its stance on player safety and the rule changes will likely reflect that this year again.
Bylaw proposals
Washington is looking to get a few bylaws amended as well. For the last few years the team has asked the league to eliminate the mandatory cutdown to 75 in-between the original 90-man roster and the final 53. The franchise is also looking for an amendment that would place a player who has suffered a concussion, but has not been cleared to play, on the team's exempt list, and be replaced by a player on the team's practice squad on a game-by-game basis until the player is cleared.
Perhaps the one proposal that stands out the most for Washington, is the franchise's want to opt out of the “color rush” jerseys created for Thursday Night Football. Word is the Redskins front office believes the jersey's are hideous.
Redskins have proposed an NFL bylaw change that would enable teams to opt out of wearing TNF color rush unis. The reason? "Garish uniforms." pic.twitter.com/uSWGiWW7wo
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) March 23, 2017
Resolution Proposals
While the Redskins didn't propose any new resolutions, there are three that will be up for debate next week in Arizona.
The first resolution was brought up by Philadelphia and would change the on-field policy about alternate helmet colors and would allow teams to match their third uniform. The competition committee proposed two resolution including allowing a team to negotiate, and reach an agreement with a head coach candidate during the postseason prior to the end of the season and also one last resolution stating that an employee can interview and be hired by another team during the playing season, provided the employing team has consented.
Not all of these proposed ideas will pass, but the league does a good job each season looking over possible changes. The owners will certainly have plenty to talk over in Arizona.
