CFL Rule Changes -- Ideas/Open Discussion

Preview And Background

Giving this another go ...note especially this is not a comparison of games for sake of which is better nor as one person thought a forum for waving flags ...those are other discussions!

Please note first that I am a new fan of the CFL as an American and Italian and avid fan and amateur player of all things football including the NFL, rugby union, and soccer. I also have even more views on worthy changes to the NFL, which I find to be a better game due to its higher amount of talent though way has too many stoppages in play and not enough action. The NFL needs even more changes for such improvement not just from the standpoint of fans but for that of the players, and many of those changes could be borrowed quite simply from the CFL! If you doubt the NFL needs vast improvement in its flow of play, how else could one explain the incredible interest in a "RedZone" channel?

Anyway, there are many ways I wish the NFL game were like the Canadian game rather than the other way around, as your game allows for more flow of play overall.

As follows are some rule changes I wish I saw in your CFL game for sake of making it the "perfect game with three downs on a rugby pitch" as opposed to improvements to the NFL to make it the "perfect game with four downs" on its smaller field.

Comment away constructively please with more than a bojack "NO!", and please bear with me as a NEW fan to your fine game that I enjoy now more more than most American college football!

Common Suggestions Or Topics And Perhaps More Likely Changes

Elimination Of The No Yards Penalty And 5-Yard Buffer Rule After A Kick Has Touched The Ground

As I have seen with many CFL and Canadian commenters alike, I HATE this rule altogether as noted below -- why is the receiving team so rewarded and coddled in your league for not catching the ball? Why penalise the kicking team for strategic low kicks?

Once the ball has touched the ground, open field kick rules should apply.

If an offside player touches the ball before any receiving player, a la the NFL such is "illegal touching" but no penalty and the receiving team takes over possession there as I explain further below.

Should the ball cross the goal line yet remain in the end zone to be touched illegally after touching the ground, a single should be scored all the same so as to incent the receiving team to return such kicks even more.

Change CFL Overtime Rules

Your overtime rules are much like those in American collegiate football in which the complete game to include the role of all special teams, is ignored. As such it's not really football at such point but rather like a practise scrimmage and an awful way to decide a FOOTBALL game between otherwise even teams. As a purist, I would welcome just a return to tie games at the end of regulation, but that is not going to happen with the desire of more folks for a victor.

And it's downright awful in the CFL that a win in overtime can come down to a wimpy single way too easily. Reward failure for sake of the victory, though I fully agree with the rules on singles otherwise.

All the same, others like me do not like the sudden death rules of the NFL either, so we all have still the Holy Grail solution to find.

The best solution I have come across is "6-point margin or end of period lead" rule.

The game like in the NFL would start anew with overtime play.

The first team to build a six-point margin wins. If a team is ahead at the END of the overtime period by less than 6 points, including existing final play rules in the CFL, it wins. Otherwise if the score is still tied, the game is a draw at the end of said overtime period.

In the playoffs, in the unlikely though possible event of the need for a second or more overtime periods, the first team to build only a 2-point margin in any subsequent overtime period wins with the same rules for overtime in place otherwise.

Uncommon Suggestions I Feel Seem Unlikely For Changes, But Feedback Backed With More Than "NO!" Definitely Appreciated

Borrowing From The NFL (As The NFL Has From You As Well At Times), The Defensive Backs Are Allowed To Bump Any Eligible Receivers At Least Two Yards Outside The Tackles In The First Five Yards Instead Of Only In The First Yard.

It is not as if your quarterbacks don't have enough time to throw with the wider field and defensive linemen one yard off the ball at the snap already you know!

The pass coverage in your league is absolutely awful too due to less overall talent on defense and wider fields anyway.

Even things up for the defence a bit, and this would sure help as well as force more receivers to be more physical like in the NFL!

We have a saying in the States that "yards after catch is too easy." The truly best players on offense at any position make "yards after contact."

No 5-Yard Buffer Rule At All For Kicks Inside 20 To Goal Line, Only 2 Yards Otherwise, Fair Catch Inside 20 Only In Most Cases

This is to reward teams who punt strategically INTO the field of play instead of merely going for singles and to allow for safety of the receiver of the ball upon a catch.

Exception: To allow for potential close calls and controversies near the 20 yard line and to avoid additional interruptions in play, only a RECEIVING player who lines up INSIDE the 15 before the kick but ventures no further than the 25 at any point, is afforded the same privileges.

In such case when the 20-yard line is touched or crossed, the fair catch signal must have been by any receiving player BEFORE the 20 is touched as well.

Otherwise if said player touching the 20 did not remain inside the 15 BEFORE the kick, the strict rule above applies.

A penalty for an invalid fair catch signal as described below applies in the event a fair catch signal is called by said player or not called before said player touches the 20.

The 15 and 25 yard lines should be marked a bit differently with an additional coloured stripe to be standardised and determined as well to designate this "Receiving Buffer Zone."

Those on kick coverage must play also the call for fair catch or not accordingly so long as the ball is in the air.

In the event of an invalid fair catch call due to the ANY of the rearmost TWO receivers of the ball having been offside by not lining up inside, not at, the 15 yet venturing to the 20 or beyond, or by not calling for the fair catch inside, not at, the 20, for safety reasons play is stopped immediately and a replay of down is ordered with a five-yard penalty against the receiving team.

A second or any more offenses by the receiving team before any change of possession awards the ball back to the kicking team with an automatic first down and another five-yard penalty.

Please note there would still be no fair catch allowed on kickoffs of any kind, as is allowed in the NFL, or in the end zone!

All ineligible receivers on offence are allowed to venture out 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, or up to the goal line, on any down but only up to two yards out from the tackle position.

All other rules apply otherwise with regard to any touching of a forward pass by said ineligible receivers.

More downfield blocking is advocated with such a rule change for plays like those with short passes or play-action delayed running plays.

The ineligible receivers are fair game for any hits by defensive players in said zone subject to a bonafide defensive effort to play the ball as mandated under current rules penalising what we call in the States "unnecessary roughness" and penalised as a personal foul.

Such existing rules already help eliminate many of the cheap shots off the ball with those 15-yard penalties.

Please note that also these ineligible linemen cannot recover any open field kick or dribbled ball into the end zone unless it is touched first by an opposing player.

End Zones Shortened To 10 Yards Deep With Goal Posts In Rear

Just like the NFL here to make it progressively harder to score inside the red zone as well as to score a field goal ...I hate when teams in your league are in the red zone and balls are lofted by quarterbacks high and wide between goal posts and the like -- way too slanted to the offence, and your field is already so much bigger mind you!

If you are not good enough to score a major/touchdown on a field already bigger but with an end zone half the size, well does such an offence really deserve a major/touchdown? Alternatively asked, why make it so onerous on the defence?

And if your offence is not good enough to score a short field goal, well why ought your offence be awarded with a single point as the following explains.

No More Singles For Kicking The Ball Outside Of The End Zone From Scrimmage Unless It Touches The Ground First

Singles would only be awarded in the event of any one of the following on punts and missed field goals:

a) the receiving team chooses not to return a scrimmage kick into of the end zone by downing said ball or allowing it to cease movement
b) otherwise illegal touching by an eligible receiver but offside player on the kicking team of a scrimmage kick into the end zone only after the ball has touched the ground (see previous commentary in number 1 one under the "common topics")
c) the ball goes out of bounds in the end zone after touching the ground

Such a change makes for not rewarding awful failure on shorter field goals and facilitates more incentive for teams to return kicks out of the end zone as well as for return men to catch balls in the first place.

Punters are also rewarded for greater strategic placement of punts as are coverage teams for solid kick coverage.

The no yards penalty has it's place, it's for the safety of the returner.
As it is different than the NFL Rule, the Punter (and anyone who lines up behind the punter) can retrieve the ball.

This happens commonly in the CFL, the Punter will run down the field and try and retrieve his own punt, also adds for more excitement, Unlike the NFL where 6-10 guys will hover around the football waiting for it to stop rolling. The current rule encourages returning the football, while also encouraging the punter to kick as far as he can. I like the rule as it is and no changes needed.

As for the Overtime rules, changes are being discussed, and fans are encouraged to submit suggestions. I kind of like the "shoot out" format, but your right. It doesn't use the kicking game at all.

As for the 6 point margin, that idea is stupid. One team could march down and get a TD, the game is over. How is that different from the NFL rule currently? it's not. There has been suggestions about 2 - 5 minute halfs. This solves the lack of kicking game. I think I would keep overtime as it is, but have the other team start at Centre field. Thus removing them from field goal range automatically. (and possibility bringing a single into play with a punt!)

As for the next one, I believe the rule is the defender is allowed to make contact with the receivers as long as he's shoulders are square with the line of scrimmage within the first 5 yards. Again rule is fine.

2)
No 5-Yard Buffer Rule At All For Kicks Inside 20 To Goal Line, Only 2 Yards Otherwise, Fair Catch Inside 20 Only In Most Cases

Sorry, this involves a fair catch, taking away from what I think is boring about the NFL, the reasons this won't change are already explained above.

3)
All ineligible receivers on offence are allowed to venture out 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, or up to the goal line, on any down but only up to two yards out from the tackle position.

no idea what you are taking about here.

4)
End Zones Shortened To 10 Yards Deep With Goal Posts In Rear

nope, that's why the CFL is uniquely Canadian a 40 yard field goal is from the 40 yard line, not the 30 yard line. Bigger endzones Is the CFL. All of our stadiums are designed with 20 yard endzones and University football is played the same way up here. No reason to change it at all.

5)
No More Singles For Kicking The Ball Outside Of The End Zone From Scrimmage Unless It Touches The Ground First

How many single points do you see this happen on? It's very rare and only on very short distance missed field goals.
sometimes you see it on a 30 yard attempt missed only to go right though the endzone. That would mean the kick was 50 yards IN THE AIR which is impressive as well.
Most CFL hates don't like the single because they see it as rewarding failure (esp on missed field goals) But they often forget that they just kicked that ball another 20 yards further.

Solid commentary MulderS thanks.

I am familiar with the rule on open-field kicks in the CFL and onside retrieval of them and advocate such a change for the NFL actually. I would add for the NFL is that the ball must travel at least 10 yards from the line of scrimmage on a scrimmage kick or to the end zone, whichever comes first. The rest of that discussion is for an NFL forum really.

For overtime the rationale is that if a team scores 6 points on you to go ahead on the first drive, they are just plain better and deserve the win than only with a field goal as is the case now in the NFL. If at any other point they are six points ahead, same difference.

It's only football in overtime when the complete game is played just like in regulation and one team has the opportunity to clearly demonstrate its dominance instead of like in the NFL playing only for a field goal in sudden death.

The 6-point rule is the only solution I have come across so far that allows for the complete game to be played and eliminates any doubt about coin tosses like in the NFL or reducing the game in overtime to mere scrimmage instead of complete football as in the CFL and in NCAA football.

Thanks for explaining more cleary the CFL "version" of the "bump-and-run rule" for defensive backs. I thought after reviewing the CFL rule book it was only within one yard in all circumstances, so the existing rule is fine you are right.

Okay it seems most CFL fans hate fair catches and no reason for them given the no yards rule then. Even so there should be no no yards penalty if the ball bounces.

I am not sure according to CFL rules how far ineligible receivers are allowed to go downfield to block on a play with a forward pass if at all, but for reasons as I cited it is an improvement for all such players to be able to position themselves within the designated 10 yards from LOS x 2 yards outside of tackle zone on any play from scrimmage with existing rules regarding their ineligibility as receivers intact. It is hard to explain this one via a forum like this.

Essentially with such a rule there is hardly any need to monitor for ineligible receivers downfield as much.

Mind you I advocate the same change for the NFL but again that's another forum.

Obviously I disagree with the size of your end zones but no changes are coming in the CFL there, though I did see some talk about that with support in another forum here with regard to something about Toronto proposing to shorten a field. That idea has probably since died.

The reason to move the goal posts to the back of a shorter end zone is for the same reason the NFL did -- to encourage more downs and drives en route to majors/touchdowns! What is wrong with that other than "well it's not Canadian"? More major/touchdown scoring ultimately will result after a period of adjustment by offenses just as happened in the NFL in the 1970s.

8)

Just have to agree to disagree with you and the current rules that dish out too many singles all the same, though I am hardly alone in that camp even though I am still learning more about the CFL game as an American fan ...

Some clarification here to the rule on "bump-and-run" in the CFL compared to the NFL according to Rule 6 Section 4 Article 9 of the 2009 CFL Rule Book ...it's on page 48 of the PDF.

It appears to me that in fact the defensive back is only allowed to "jam" the receiver headed downfield only within one yard of the line of scrimmage contrary to my wish that it matched the NFL rule for the reasons I cited in my original post below and or as expressed well by MuldoonS below on what he believes is the actual CFL rule that would be similar to the NFL rule.

Someone please clarify by referencing the rule book please if I or we are mistaken?

RE_"The pass coverage in your league is absolutely awful too due to less overall talent on defense and wider fields anyway.

Even things up for the defence a bit, and this would sure help as well as force more receivers to be more physical like in the NFL!" I disagree! there are no problems with this aspect of the Canadian game, The one foot in bounds rule in CFL IMHO is a better rule than the NFL two feet in rule!

Paolo, glad you're aboard and enjoy reading your thoughts. That being said, until you attend CFL games in live and watch a lot, a very lot and really get into it from the heart, being in a CFL stadium, knowing the history of Canadian football, well, as I say, enjoy your thoughts and coming on board but, well, just nice reading your stuff and I'll leave at that. Thanks. Peace my friend.

Now, do you know when the Grey Cup started and what field it was played on and in what city without having to research it?

Quick note, let's leave all of the personal jabs out, and just discuss the rules. Thank you.

As you were...

move the goal posts to the 50 yard lines

Now, do you know when the Grey Cup started and what field it was played on and in what city without having to research it?
Earl well hey you are taking Wiki away from me where I saw that information when studying more the CFL rules!

My guess is 1869, McGill University, Montreal without just going to Wiki it. American football was derived also from Canadian football and rugby somewhere around those times, with McGill University once playing the football of the time on the smaller field at Harvard from which the smaller size of the current American gridiron is derived. They should have stuck to the larger CFL field/rugby pitch I say.

Definitely I agree having attended many an NFL and NCAA game that it would make a great difference to go to an CFL game, and how I wish we in the meantime we had more access to the CFL on TV in the US than we do currently.

Other than the highlights right on this site, I’ve watched live action via http://www.channelsurfing.net , but that is of little use to anyone in Canada where you have it on TSN.

You're ok my friend, you might not know a lot, hey, there are people on this site who blow me away with what they know about the history of Canadian football, but you're heart is at the right place. Here's a little piece and BTW, most Canadians wouldn't know any of this really and honestly:

[url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/grey-cup-2004/history/index.html]http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/grey- ... index.html[/url]

Update And Thanks, More Feedback?
Much thanks to Earl and MulderS for the insights again. :slight_smile: Upon Earl's recommendation, I read about more of the history than I had already some time ago being also a student and player of rugby union and soccer from which both Canadian and American football are derived. For example, did you know that the game was even called rugby football in much of Canada, though not in conformance with the international rules by the International Rugby Board for rugby union and not the same game but rather more like Canadian football as you know it today? Those of you not familiar with rugby union, the most universal form or rugby, please don't confuse it with rugby league or rugby sevens as you might see otherwise.

Read all you want about it via Wikipedia if you are curious.

In the end both the Canadian and American games "cherry-picked" elements of rugby union that they each retain to make each game distinctive in addition to the creation of new rules such as the concept of downs by each respective game. To argue which is better or what rules are better than the other are merely subjects of endless subjectivity. Hopefully more folks like me just plain enjoy both games overall whatever our leanings. :stuck_out_tongue:

Personally as an American and Italian I enjoy the NFL and CFL games more than American college football, which but for a few teams has become like watching sloppy super high school ball due to vast disparities in talent, and cheer for the Indianapolis Colts and Edmonton Eskimos respectively. See you around in the other league and Eskimo fora for you NFL and Eskimo fans. :cowboy:

After more reflection from study and feedback including the 2009 CFL Rule Book, I would revise my original recommendations down to only four as follows and seek any more feedback.

Again please note in all fairness of course I have recommendations also for the NFL, wishing it would borrow some of the successful rules in Canada more than the other way around, so please don't get on my case merely because I am new to the Canadian game and American. :x

:thup: In fact for example with only these four changes there would be far less to improve for sake of the great CFL game than there is for the NFL game in my view. The NFL for example could use improved rules for recovery of scrimmage kicks, allowing ineligible receivers to be downfield so long as they don't interfere with the passing game (but only a distance of 10 yards unlike in the CFL where such presence is unlimited), changes to facilitate more punt and field goal returns, copying the CFL rules to penalise some punts out-of-bounds, etc. :thup: All that on the NFL is for another forum another time in the "Other Leagues" section so see you there closer perhaps to the next NFL season and looking forward like you all already to 1 July after the Olympic hockey tournament! :thup: Aside from you NHL fans as are the numerous norm up there, the football hangover down here is awful, so good thing it's only about 4 months this year as a rare American CFL fan!

As the Chief stated stick to discussing your views on the rules please. :smiley:

Common Suggestions Or Topics And Perhaps More Likely Changes

Elimination Of The No Yards Penalty And The 5-Yard Buffer Rule After A Kick Has Touched The Ground

:thdn: As I have seen with many CFL and Canadian commenters alike, I HATE this rule altogether as noted below -- why is the receiving team so rewarded and coddled in your league for not catching the ball? Why penalise the kicking team for strategic low kicks? :x :thup: [b]Once the ball has touched the ground[/b], all offside players should be restricted in recovery of the ball still with the rules for onside players akin to the open field kicks intact all the same.

If an offside player touches the ball before any receiving player does, it would be by chance like in the NFL as "illegal touching" but no penalty and the receiving team takes over possession at that spot.

:thup: Should the ball cross the goal line yet remain in the end zone to be touched illegally after touching the ground by such an offside player, a single should be scored all the same so as to incent the receiving team to return such kicks even more and reward the punt or field goal team for excellent kicking skills [b]and/or[/b] coverage.

Change CFL (And The NFL!) Overtime Rules

Note that I have these same recommendations for the NFL overtime which I don't like either mind you, so don't think I am picking on solely the Canadian game here please.

:thdn: Your overtime rules are much like those in American collegiate football in which the complete game to include the role of all special teams, is ignored. As such it's not really football at such point but rather like a practise scrimmage and an awful way to decide a FOOTBALL game between otherwise even teams. As a purist, I would welcome just a return to tie games at the end of regulation, but that is not going to happen with the desire of more folks for a victor.

And it's downright awful in the CFL that a win in overtime can come down to a wimpy single way too easily. Reward failure for sake of the victory, though I fully agree with the rules on singles otherwise.

All the same, others like me do not like the sudden death rules of the NFL either, so we all have still far to go on finding the the Holy Grail solution and I doubt there is a perfect one at this point. :?

:thup: The best solution I have come across is "6-point margin or end of period lead" rule.

The game like in the NFL would start anew with overtime play.

:thup: The first team to build a six-point margin wins. If a team is ahead at the END of the overtime period by less than 6 points, including existing final play rules in the CFL, it wins. Otherwise if the score is still tied, the game is a draw at the end of said overtime period.

In the playoffs, in the unlikely though possible event of the need for a second or more overtime periods, the first team to build only a 2-point margin in any subsequent overtime period wins with the same rules for overtime in place otherwise.

Uncommon Suggestions I Feel Seem Unlikely For Changes, But Feedback Backed With More Than "NO!" Definitely Appreciated

Borrowing From The NFL (As The NFL Has From You As Well At Times), The Defensive Backs Are Allowed To Bump Any Eligible Receivers, Lined Up At Least Two Yards Outside The Tackles, In The First Five Yards Instead Of Only In The First Yard.

If you did not even know this was a CFL rule, reference please Rule 6, Section 4, Article 9 (PDF file page 48). If you find a contradiction as I have heard, please cite the rule book as I could find none.

It is not as if your quarterbacks don't have enough time to throw with the wider field and defensive linemen one yard off the ball at the snap already you know!

:thdn: The pass coverage in the CFL is absolutely awful too due to less overall talent on defense and wider fields anyway, and CFL receivers already have the advantage like in all American football except the NFL of only one foot inbounds. :thup: Even things up for the defence a bit, and this would sure help as well as force more receivers to be more physical like in the NFL! :thup: We have a saying in the States that "yards after catch is too easy." The truly best players on offense at any position make "yards after contact."

No More Singles For Kicking The Ball Outside Of The End Zone From Scrimmage Unless It Touches The Ground First

Singles would only be awarded in the event of any one of the following on punts and missed field goals:

a) the receiving team chooses not to return a scrimmage kick into of the end zone by downing said ball or allowing it to cease movement
b) otherwise "illegal touching"/no yards by an eligible receiver but offside player on the kicking team of a scrimmage kick into the end zone after the ball has touched the ground (see previous commentary in number 1 one under the "common topics")
c) the ball goes out of bounds in the end zone after touching the ground

:thup: Such a change makes for not rewarding absolutely awful failure on shorter field goals and facilitates more incentive for teams to return kicks out of the end zone as well as for return men to catch balls in the first place. :thdn: Kicking it long through the end zone on a short field in missing a field, though still a long kick to make it 20 yards beyond in some cases, hardly seems to me worthy of a score at all in a professional given that even I as an amateur kicker and punter can do that. Accuracy is the trick once you get from 40-yards out on field goals or punts if you have any kicking experience like me. :thup: Punters would also be rewarded for greater strategic placement of punts as would be coverage teams for solid kick coverage.

Re_ your criticism of long established Canadian football rules and regulation,s_ As stated before you should stick to fixing American football, That's my honest opinion which you asked for! The only "awfull" pass coverage has been fixed as Several Ticats Import DB,s will not be returning for 2010 LMAO

All commenters please see the comments by the Chief below just in case you missed them, and refer all concerns off topic to him as well. Thank you.

Otherwise as he stated previously, stick to discussing your views on the CFL rules please.

Re_Paolo X _ After re-reviewing your rule change suggestion,s , I dissagree with all points, As implimenting them would be confusing, and detract from the allready in place logical set of rules governing the five suggestions you state!

Paulo has some great thoughts, the problem is I question his grounding in CFL and Canadian football history and understanding, knowledge base. Paulo, coming here is great, but toes first for a while and then feet and then legs... type of thing. A bit too heavy and too fast my friend.

I’m sorry but you’re nuts.

you should just stop watching CFL because clearly you cannot appreciate our unique game.

if you shorten the endzones and move the goalposts to the back of the endzone, then we may as well shorten the field to 100yds and narrow it to NFL widths, and remove the motion in the backfield and so on and so on.

you cannot change those rules, these RULES are the exact rules that make our Canadian Game the way it is!!

so to you I say.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

if you move the goalposts to the end of the endzone, you eliminate the live endzone.

which is what allows returns out from the endzone on a missed field goal!

like I said already, if you do that, then we may as well just go to 100yds and 10 yd endzones and 4 downs and remove all motion.

I do not want any NFL rules.

First of all, he is not "THE" Chief
He is simply Chief

Second
As a new fan of our game, I welcome you to the forum and the Canadian game.
But as a new fan, I suggest you watch for a few more seasons so that you really understand the differences before you start listing all of its faults(faults in your opinion, not ours)

Why not take the puck out of hockey and use a ball instead to make it more like soccer?
Why not put pins at the far end of the rink in curling and make it more like bowling?

Answer
Because Soccer is soccer and hockey is hockey
Bowling is bowling and curling is curling

All of your suggestions are suggestions that make the CFL a copy if the NFL.
As in my previous examples, they are 2 different games.

If you want to watch American football, watch American football.
When you want to watch Canadian football, watch Canadian football

Enjoy each for what the are,
2 separate distinct games

Paolo, I applaud you for your diligence and thoughtfulness in researching and commenting on the rules.

Just a few points:

The single is a relatively uncommon event. I do believe that a Grey Cup, for example, has never been decided by a winning single (even though nine were booted by one player in the very first game in 1909). That's in 97 championship games! Furthermore, many of us see the single not as reward for failure, but as a penalty for allowing the attacking team to get close enough to kick one. As has been mentioned, that is one reason the CFL has deep end zones. The kicking game is very important in the CFL.

Which leads to the no-yards rule. There is no perfect solution, and while this is an awkward rule in some ways, it does keep the play going, instead of creating the worst play in football, the fair catch or dead ball. I do believe that if the ball bounces it is only a five yard penalty (correct me if I'm wrong please). That's pretty minimal, but it still forces the attacking team to allow the ball to be returned. Don't forget that a bounced ball is magnet for the punter and any other on-side players (extremely rare). You see a fair number of no-yards penalties early in the season, but very few by the end of the season. Players adjust to it.

Some teams have poor defencive backfields, that's true. The good ones do not. The 97th Grey Cup was a showcase of excellent defence. Please don't tar all teams with the same brush. Discussions of over-all talent are fairly pointless frankly. It simply doesn't matter. The CFL is still high quality professional ball no matter what. You know this and that is why you have contributed to this forum :smiley:

There are still ties in the CFL. From your post I'm not sure you know this. I think part of the reason of for the NFL sudden death format and the shortened scrimmage-style over time is to end the game no matter what. This is to help prevent fatigue injuries as much as anything. It will be interesting to see what the rule's committee comes up with in terms of changes, if any.

There are still "coffin corner" kicks in the CFL. Singles are not an automatic decision. By the way, teams were getting hemmed in often enough that the safety rule was changed to reduce the numbers.

It is true that the CFL is sufficiently different that it takes many people who are used to American football many years of regular viewing to understand the subtleties, and so we fairly often get calls for NFL-style changes in this forum. So please do not take it personally, but you clearly do not "get" the kicking emphasis in the CFL. Even some Canadians don't get it. It is part and parcel of three downs, bigger field, deeper end zones, no-yards penalties, singles, 12 a side, unlimited motion, a yard off the ball, and many other rules. The CFL didn't develop in a vacuum. It evolved over decades to what it is today, and it is still evolving, but huge changes such as you have suggested are simply not going to happen because those changes would fundamentally change the game.

It has been said before in this forum that the CFL is all about field position (and less about ball control à la the NFL). I think that's true. It is a very strategic game, and less of a brute force, ram it down the field type game. Try and understand the subtleties of the myriad interlocking rules. I know I am, and I've been watching the CFL my entire life.

Earl thanks for the comments again. Rpaege thanks in advance will comment on a separate post.

CFListhebest and ro1313, you commented on my past post not the updated post. If you look at that updated post and comment, I think clearly you can see that most of my recommendations are not NFL-influenced any more as you are accusing me including especially the first two. I think clearly you'll see the difference in the posts at that after I did some studying based on recommendations of others.

Ro1313 I'll call him THE Chief until he objects to that himself thank you. Who would not like to be called The Chief if at least all in good fun? He's running things most of the time here anyway, so that is not stretching the truth.

Furthermore, I prefaced my suggestions clearly and explicitly in the commentary and headings. Did you bother to read them? I don't see the four areas on which I commented hardly as faults of the game despite my strong opinion any more than I see the even more rules I would change in the NFL as faults -- I see these as areas of improvement most of all.

As Canadians or Americans fire away in the appropriate forum "Other Leagues" on rule changes you would like to see in the NFL down the road perhaps? I don't care who the message is coming from but rather what is substance of the message for sake of the good of the game despite nationality. We are all fans after all.

I don't know if you two are bit trigger-happy to get on my case please just for being a rare American making comments on the CFL, but sure fire away and comment as have others on the actual changes proposed in the UPDATED post not the initial one that I changed after thorough reflection and learning from some helpful commenters.

I'm sure I can learn more that way for that matter rather than to be reminded as I know already that I am American again and again.

Having said all that yet again, hopefully back to a discussion of the rules themselves not nationalities and playing favourites and demonstrating clear biases according to them.