Want to help the CFL change some rules?

[Cheese]

Change them rules

This year, we’re asking you to provide input to the committee. We want your ideas and suggestions. We can’t promise the committee will accept them all. But we will make sure your ideas are shared with its members.

Thanks for your help and hang in there: with Congress around the corner, CFL training camps can't be that far off.

[octothorp]

I'm still convinced that the changes to the kicking game (the rule whereby an out-of-bounds punt gave the receiving team an option of taking the ball from the spot, or forcing the kicking team to take a penalty and re-kick) that the CFL introduced two years ago were based on a post I made here and on gostampsgo. I definitely have a couple more ideas I'm sending them.

[troutman]

No Yards sucks - they should not throw the flag when the defenders are backing up within the 5 yard zone. There seems to be no yards on 99% of returns.

I don't mind the one point for missed field goals - it all has to do with field position. There have been many 9-6 NFL games that could have used some single points.

[Slava]

I said that they should remove the single for missed field goals. Its just non-sensical. I suppose that you could punt if you thought that you were going to miss anyway, but I don't think that would be very frequent.

[Ducay]

Add another down. Im getting tired of 2 and outs

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Slava

I said that they should remove the single for missed field goals. Its just non-sensical.

It's all a matter of persepctive. It's not that a team is given a point for a missed field goal; it's that the defending team chooses to concede a point in return for field position.

The only time a team really is given a single point for a missed field goal is when it sails through the end zone. But how often does that happen? If the team is close enough to have it not hit the ground 20 yards past the uprights, chances are they aren't going to miss either.

[octothorp]

I submitted three rules, and they're both in regards to issues that others have discussed here:

Firstly, regarding the single:
A single is awarded on kicks outside the 25 yard line (25 yard line of scrimmage, not point of kick) only if the kick is returnable. A kick is returnable if it is caught by the return team, or touches the ground in the field of play. So in otherwords, if you're attempting a 35 yard kick and you punch it wide through the endzone, or you punt it through the corner without it bouncing, no single. The idea of the single being a reward for field position is reinforced, in that if you gain the 25 yard line, you can score a single on a missed field goal that sails through the endzone. For a defending team, if you want to prevent a single, there's a clear way of doing this: don't let the opposing team get to the 25 yard line, and then make sure that you return any missed field goal out of the endzone.

I also suggested that this first be implemented in overtime (where singles have far more of a chance of affecting the outcome), and if it's effective there, be implemented in regulation as well.


Secondly, regarding the five yard perimeter:
A player on the kicking team who's caught inside the five yard perimeter is penalized only if they affect the play prior to the returner gaining five yards. So like Troutman says, if the offending player realizes he's in the perimeter and backs off, no reason to call a penalty. Similarly, if he's inside the perimeter but another guy who was outside the perimeter tackles the returner first, no reason to call a penalty.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the five yard perimeter extended across the width of the field, if only because it would make this a much easier call for officials, and much easier for players to see when they're too close. As it stands now, judging a circular five yard perimeter is pretty difficult and results in more blown calls than almost any other play in the game.

[troutman]

EDM should not be allowed to fake injuries and delay the game in the 2nd half.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Slava

I said that they should remove the single for missed field goals. Its just non-sensical. I suppose that you could punt if you thought that you were going to miss anyway, but I don't think that would be very frequent.

I half support this change.

My thoughts on the rouge is that it should be that the endzone is live, but out of bounds isn't. So if you punt or miss a field goal and the ball leaves the field on the fly, you get nothing. If the ball lands in play, including the end zone, it is live, and you get the single if it subsequently leaves play.

[ken0042]

And I would agree that it would be better if there was some rule where if it lands out of bounds it isn't a single, but then that makes it a lot more complicated. And keeping in mind the league needs more fans; so making complex rules doesn't help that cause.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by troutman

EDM should not be allowed to fake injuries and delay the game in the 2nd half.

Edmonton should not be able to make time delayed trades where they get to keep the player they are trading and the proceeds from the trade until the end of the season.

Edmonton players should also have their dicipline hearings in front of an unbiased mediator who doesn't own Eskimos season tickets.

I sense a trend here.

[You Need a Thneed]

Make placekicks/dropkicks legal beyond the line of scrimmage - opening the door for the pass and drop kick to win the game when a team is down by two points, but is out of field goal range when the last play of the game starts.

Allow the ball to be placed inside the one yard line on each end.

[troutman]

The commish was on Prime Time Sports. One thing interested me - he was saying the one point convert is not a very excting play, and wondering what could be done with it. It is pretty much an automatic waste of time.

They could try something like rugby - you have to kick the convert straight out from where the ball was touched-down. Could make for some more difficult kicks, causing some teams to try the two point convert instead.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by ken0042

And I would agree that it would be better if there was some rule where if it lands out of bounds it isn't a single, but then that makes it a lot more complicated. And keeping in mind the league needs more fans; so making complex rules doesn't help that cause.

Umm, how does this qualify as a complex rule?

Ball kicked out of bounds on the fly = no points
Ball hits ground in play = live ball, normal scoring rules apply.

There is nothing at all complicated about that.

[Romanrules]

I think they should change the rule regarding kicks when a safety is conceded. Change that to the same as the nfl.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Umm, how does this qualify as a complex rule?

Ball kicked out of bounds on the fly = no points
Ball hits ground in play = live ball, normal scoring rules apply.

There is nothing at all complicated about that.

On kickoffs
- in bounds no point
- out of bounds no point

On FG attempts
- in bounds point
- Out of bounds no point

On punts
- In bounds in the end zone point
- Out of bounds in the end zone no point
- Out of bounds inside the 20 yard lines (or whatever that is now) penalty.
- In bounds inside the 20's first but rolls out- no penalty
- In bounds inside the 20's first but rolls out with a defender within 5 yards- penalty on the defender.

Compare that to the NFL:
- if the ball is downed in the end zone the team gets it on the 20.

That means the CFL has 9 rules on one kind of play compared to 1 for the NFL. That's worse than the infield fly rule in baseball. Never mind adding getting replays and blown calls when it lands close to the line.

[Resolute 14]

Since you are double and triple counting some rules, it is actually less than that. Also, you are talking about several rules, where I am talking about one. Simply put, my suggestion flat out does not complicate things any further than they are now. And believe it or not, people aren't completely stupid. The complexity of the rules being a detriment to creating fans is a ridiculous argument if one has ever looked at a major league rule book - they are all like that.

In that vein, you are also taking a rather silly view on some of it.

Kickoff rules are very easy.

Field goal rules are, as I present it, really easy.

So the problem comes from a single rule that was a knee-jerk reaction to a one year abberation in the number of punt return TDs. One stupid rule that has absolutely no influence on what I propose does not make what I propose complicated.

And really, who gives a rats ass what the NFL does? That league requires four downs to do anything, and their punt return guys are chickensh*ts.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by troutman

The commish was on Prime Time Sports. One thing interested me - he was saying the one point convert is not a very excting play, and wondering what could be done with it. It is pretty much an automatic waste of time.

They could try something like rugby - you have to kick the convert straight out from where the ball was touched-down. Could make for some more difficult kicks, causing some teams to try the two point convert instead.

What if you moved back 10-15 yards or something? Make it a somewhat-challenging 30+ yard kick for that extra point but still have the option of going for a two point conversion from wherever you scrimmage from in the current rules.

(I think I'm just copying something Easterbrok wrote a few months ago)

[ken0042]

Yes, there are some different rules for the different kind of kick plays. But that was my point- Once you factor in different rules on this, and then different rules on other plays, you end up with a league where people don't understand what is going on, and when people don't understand they won't watch it.

And I bring up the NFL because it is very popular here in Canada. I know many people who follow the NFL exclusively; and these are the types of people who might become fans if they watch a few enjoyable games.

All I'm saying is the "point for the missed field goal" camp often consists of people who don't appreciate the aspects of the Canadian game. Then those people go on about it, and we get people who are CFL fans agreeing with those people. (And of course I think the people in this thread are in the latter group- I know a few times my life as a CFL fan would be easier if there was no single point.)

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by fredr123

What if you moved back 10-15 yards or something? Make it a somewhat-challenging 30+ yard kick for that extra point but still have the option of going for a two point conversion from wherever you scrimmage from in the current rules.

(I think I'm just copying something Easterbrok wrote a few months ago)

You have to line up at the same place for either kind of conversion to leave fake plays as an option, IMO.

I don't know why you don't see that more often, teams lining up for one, but running a fake to score two, especially in the NFL, where you are only 2 yards away. You should be able to score a high percentage of the time on a well executed fake from two yards away.

I wouldn't change the single point rule. Sometimes you get rewarded for missing a kick, but it also opens it up for a lot more weird, creative plays. For example, last play of a tie game, you are not in field goal range, you could have a guy catch a pass, then punt it into the end zone, where the other team will have to recover the ball and bring it out before your team gets there to either recover the ball for a touchdown, or tackle the other team for a single.

The single point makes the game more like its Rugby roots, and I think that's a good idea.

Plus, you get to see which teams are well coached in that they don't give up single points when they don't have to. A couple of times this last season, a team gave up a single point near the end of the half, took the ball on the 35, and knelt down to end the half. REALLY bad coaching that is.