NFL Owners Implement Several New Rules for 2017 Season

NFL ownership has implemented some rules that leap off the screen

Relocating the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas was the focal point of the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix this week, but more news is beginning to trickle out of the boardroom.

Several rules will be implemented this year involving player safety, including potential ejections for illegal hits.

One rule proposed by the Philadelphia Eagles passed with support from both owners and players. During a field goal attempt opposing players will be barred from leaping over the kicking team’s line.

Seattle and New England became synonymous with this tactic and were often successful when it came to blocking kicks.

The second rule implemented by the NFL ownership will institute an automatic ejection for illegal hits to the head. Whether or not this will model the current college rule where the hit is reviewed for the ejection to be confirmed is not yet known.

Also coming across the docket will be the centralization of NFL replay. Owners unanimously voted to allow NFL official Dean Blandino and the league officials in New York to have the final says on reviews and remove officials going “under the hood” for videos.

The proposed rule that would allow teams to agree to teams with a coach whose teams is still in the playoffs will not be discussed until the next meeting in a couple of months. This would have allowed a team such as San Francisco to officially hire Kyle Shanahan while he was still coaching the Atlanta Falcons during their Super Bowl run.

Next: Carolina Panthers Mock Draft

More rules may be announced in the coming hours and days from the owners meeting in Arizona.