NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL’s powerful competition committee is recommending making permanent extra-point kick snaps from the 15-yard line, eliminating all chop blocks and ejecting a player for twice receiving certain unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game.
When NFL owners meet next week in Florida, they also will consider such proposals as moving the line of scrimmage up 5 yards to the 25 on kickoff touchbacks, allowing coaches and players to use video rather than just photos on sideline tablets, and expanding the penalties on horse-collar tackles to cover the nameplate on the uniform.
Among the rule proposals that teams will present Monday through Wednesday are several involving video review: allowing three coaches’ challenges instead of two even when one challenge fails, expanding what can be challenged to include everything but turnovers and scores, and eliminating overtime in preseason games.
Not being altered is what constitutes a catch, a subject that often infuriates players and fans but is not part of any proposals this year.
Instead, according to Troy Vincent, the league’s football operations chief, the emphasis will be on education and enforcement of the three current catch rule considerations: gaining possession, getting two feet down inbounds, and player safety.