The NFL has already made
two new rule changes for the upcoming year at the NFL Annual Meeting. While
four proposals have yet to be voted on, two others did not take long to get
passed. Of course with every decision there are two reactions. Some fans
believe that these changes are taking away from the game and will eventually
lead to the game basically being “flag football.” Others believe that this is
great for the sport because player safety is a huge thing and it should be the
number one priority.
The first proposal passed was not that big of a gulp for
fans to swallow. The first rule change states that, “Teams will no longer be
allowed to have more than six players on either side of the snapper at the snap
of a point after or field goal attempt. This ‘overloading’ one side strategy
was deemed to be unsafe and unnecessary. You can no longer hit an offensive
lineman low, and the snapper now is considered a defenseless player.”
The second proposal was actually one
that was inspired by Houston Texans Linebacker Brian Cushing. This second rule
change is “banning ‘peel-back blocks,’ making those low-blocks illegal even if
they occur in the tackle box. This likely will be known as ‘The Brian Cushing
rule’ after the Houston
Texans linebacker suffered a serious injury on a peel-back block in
2012.
I actually really liked both of these
decisions. They are not as dramatic as the running back rule that could be
enforced where the running back will no longer be able to lead with their head.
Thus, it will not cause a dramatic change in the way the game is played. Also,
I know me personally, I never been a fan of players being hit below the knees.
There are a lot of injuries and catastrophes that can occur when a player gets
hit in this way especially when his body motion is trotting the other
direction.
All in all, these two rule changes are beneficial
for the game and player safety as a whole.
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