When owners meet this week at the NFL Annual Meeting, they will have four rule-change proposals to vote on aimed at keeping players safe.
Another proposal will open up what plays can be subject to instant replays after several teams lost out on vital calls that were not reviewable this season.
In order to be made into rules, the proposals need to receive 75 percent of the vote from the 32 teams in the league.
To continue...
Rule-change proposals
1. Teams will no longer be able to bunch around the kicker in such high numbers for onside kicks. There will need to be at least four players on each side of the kicker with three of those four needing to be outside the hash mark. This will mean that no more six players can bunch at a time, lessening the chance of a player on the receiving team getting ganged up on.
2. On kick returns, no more than two players may be involved in a wedge, in which players link arms to plow a hole for the kick returner. Again, this would keep solitary players from being ganged up on, lessening the chance of injury.
3. When receivers are defenseless, they cannot be hit in the head in any way, whether that means leading with the shoulder or hands. Previously, only helmet-to-helmet hits were against the rules.
4. Offensive players cannot deliver a helmet-to-helmet hit when blocking a defensive player.
5. Incomplete passes can be subject to review on instant replay with the ball going to the recovering team. This rule will also apply to plays where the ball is ruled out of bounds on a fumble or kick.
Overtime rules will not be up for change.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
