NFL's automatic ejection proposal expected to pass, report says

NFL's automatic ejection proposal expected to pass, report says

By Jordan Heck

During his state of the league address at the Super Bowl, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell proposed a rule change to the competition committee for players who are flagged twice for personal fouls in a single game.

"I believe the league should pursue a policy where if there are two personal fouls in a game, there's an automatic ejection of a player," Goodell said in February. "I believe that that's consistent with what we believe are the safety issues, but I also believe it's consistent with what we believe are the standards of sportsmanship that we've emphasized."

The competition committee will meet next week at the NFL Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., to consider potential rule changes, and it is expected to pass the automatic ejection measure, according to NFL Media.

The proposed rule would have played a role in Super Bowl 50, during which Aqib Talib was flagged twice for personal fouls. Odell Beckham Jr. in Week 15 would have been ejected after he went after the Panthers' Josh Norman last season and drew multiple flags.

Other rule changes up for debate include the catch rule (unlikely to change), tweaks to the chop block and horse-collar tackle rules, changes to instant replay and clarifying low hits on quarterbacks.

2016 Playing Rules Proposals

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 17, 2016, 1:58 PM EDT

[Editor’s note: The NFL released the following proposed rules changes for the 2016 season, which have been recommended by the Competition Committee and will be voted on by the league’s 32 owners.]

1. By Competition Committee; Permanently moves the line of scrimmage for Try kicks to the
defensive team’s 15-yard line, and allows the defense to return any missed Try.
2. By Competition Committee; Permits the offensive and defensive play callers on the
coaching staffs to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether
they are on the field or in the coaches’ booth.
3. By Competition Committee; Makes all chop blocks illegal.
4. By Competition Committee; Disqualifies a player who is penalized twice in one game for
certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls.
5. By Competition Committee; Changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting
from a free kick to the 25-yard line.
6. By Baltimore; to amend Rule 5, Sections 3, Articles 1 and 2 (Changes in Position) to
require players to wear jersey vests with numbers appropriate for their positions.
7. By Baltimore; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Articles 1, 4, and 5 (Instant Replay) to
provide each team with three challenges and expand reviewable plays.
8. By Buffalo; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Articles 1, 4, and 5 (Instant Replay) to permit a
coach to challenge any official’s decision except scoring plays and turnovers.
9. By Carolina; to amend Rule 8, Section 2, Article 1 (Intentional Grounding) to expand the
definition of intentional grounding.
10. By Kansas City; to amend Rule 14, Section 2, Article 1 (Half-distance Penalty) to add
penalty yards to the distance needed to gain a First Down.
11. By Kansas City; to amend Rule 8, Section 1, Article 2 (Legal Forward Pass) to prohibit
quarterbacks from falling to the ground, getting up, and throwing a forward pass.
12. By Minnesota; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 1 (Coaches’ Challenge) to eliminate the
requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two Instant Replay challenges in
order to be awarded a third challenge.
13. By Washington; to amend Rule 16, Section 1, Articles 1, 4, 6 and 7 (Overtime
procedures) to eliminate overtime periods in preseason games.
14. By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 4 (Reviewable Plays) to subject
personal foul penalties to Instant Replay review.
15. By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 1 (Coaches’ Challenge) to eliminate
the requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two Instant Replay challenges
in order to be awarded a third challenge.
16. By Competition Committee; Expands the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs
the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground.
17. By Competition Committee; Makes it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call
a timeout when it is not permitted to do so.
18. By Competition Committee; Eliminates the five-yard penalty for an eligible receiver
illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself
inbounds, and makes it a loss of down.
19. By Competition Committee; Eliminates multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul
after a change of possession.

jsmith6919 said:

Click to expand...

Nice.

13. By Washington; to amend Rule 16, Section 1, Articles 1, 4, 6 and 7 (Overtime
procedures) to eliminate overtime periods in preseason games.

Hate the messenger, but that is a good change. I actually like all 3 of Washington's proposals.

dallen said:

13. By Washington; to amend Rule 16, Section 1, Articles 1, 4, 6 and 7 (Overtime
procedures) to eliminate overtime periods in preseason games.

Hate the messenger, but that is a good change. I actually like all 3 of Washington's proposals.

Click to expand...

Yep, they should have done that years ago.

Stupid.

This happens what, once in a blue moon?

Dipshit Beckham does it, got to make a rule.

How about the Catch rule? No, no. That never affects games enough to re-examine.

jsmith6919 said:

Click to expand...

This is known as the Romo Rule. If he sucks shit for 58 munutes, he clearly doesn't deserve the final two.

boozeman said:

Stupid.

This happens what, once in a blue moon?

Dipshit Beckham does it, got to make a rule.

How about the Catch rule? No, no. That never affects games enough to re-examine.

Click to expand...

They decided the problem with the catch rule is the fans' fault. We just aren't smart enough to understand what a catch is so they are going to educate us poor dumb saps.

Iamtdg said:

Click to expand...

It's just stupid. The refs already have the right to eject anyone who does something crazy.

So touchbacks now start at the 25?

The game has been awesome for over 50 years, why the hell all the changes? Too many new owners who don't understand or have respect for the game.

mschmidt64 said:

So touchbacks now start at the 25?

The game has been awesome for over 50 years, why the hell all the changes? Too many new owners who don't understand or have respect for the game.

Click to expand...

They are doing it in the name of safety. They think it will cause less kickoff returns.

But, guess what?

I like this rule change.

Iamtdg said:

They are doing it in the name of safety. They think it will cause less kickoff returns.

But, guess what?

Click to expand...

And I'm sure more of me cussing Bailey for stupid kicks.

BipolarFan said:

And I'm sure more of me cussing Bailey for stupid kicks.

Click to expand...

It's not Bailey's fault that our idiot ST coach likes to write checks his coverage team can't cash.

Clay_Allison said:

It's not Bailey's fault that our idiot ST coach likes to write checks his coverage team can't cash.

Click to expand...

Well when the kick is supposed to go to the 2 and it goes to the 15, that's a problem regardless of coverage units.