The NFL has looked to a lot of places to make its game safer. It even has looked to Canada. And it may continue to look north.
As recently as a year ago, the competition committee kicked around the idea of a bigger field, CFL style. And this wasn’t the first time the committee has broached the subject. Perhaps the committee will broach the subject again when it meets in Indianapolis in advance of the combine.
I can see widening the field would be not that much of a problem for the current stadiums and would give more room for players on offense to see whats coming at them. A scrabbling QB that runs will have more time to slide. The length of the field has the potential for major stadium problems as many end zone seats are close to the field for fan enjoyment. Much the reason that you do not see a lot of seating in the End zones in the CFL
I have never understood why anyone wants to sit in an endzone in any stadium, at least low down.
what I think would suck it that they would minimize the seat reduction as much as possible leaving the edge of the seating too close to the playing field.
Most NFL football specific stadiums now have the seating in the end zone high enough off the level of the field to get a good view down field while having a great view of a team in the red zone coming right at them.
The width is what helps spread the players out. Like in basketball an official NBA court is wider than an official High school court. For football from pee wee football to an NFL field is the same width.
widening an NFL field by 5 yards on each side would be 10 more yards and not have to make any adjustments to any seating.
Makes sense, but I don't know if the existing stadiums could be widened or lengthened. I think it's impossible right now to put in a wider longer field that's probably why they gave up on that idea.
They should keep the end zones 10 yards to keep the stadiums intimate. The 20 yard endzones in the CFL keep the fans too far away from the field of play.
Isn't it like NHL hockey and International Hockey arenas? they built arenas smaller in North America with smaller ice surface to cut down costs, it would be impossible in most arenas to put in a European size ice surface.
They should keep the end zones 10 yards to keep the stadiums intimate. The 20 yard endzones in the CFL keep the fans too far away from the field of play.
15 would be perfect for both leagues, 10 makes the field look like too much like a postage stamp and while I like 20 better than 10 especially with the bigger and faster players of today, 15 would be perfect I think. But remember mike, the CFL just has 3 downs, remember , so you have to make it a bit easier to score a td as a result of not having that extra down.
But it would be great to see the great athletes in the NFL be able to use their ability more, they should go to as much of a CFL sized field as possible and of course, as stated, help reduce injuries as well.
In looking at some of the NFL stadiums widening the field is something that can be done without any changes to seating. I do not think they would go with making the field longer or end zones bigger as that would really change the game and could mean structural changes to the venues.
It has been a topic today on sports radio talk shows. The talk is to widen the field by yards on each sideline to where the current fat white sideline ends.
This is something that could really happen as it would just be a small adjustment
Last year the NFL looked more like the CFL in many ways.
Just look at the youngest hottest QB’s in the NFL
RG3- Washington-
Russell Wilson - Seahawks-
Kaepernick - San Francisco -
All are Mobile athletic running QB’s that run but look to throw downfield first.
They play an exciting brand of football instead of the straight dropback passer of old.
They are playing a CFL style Game and it is a treat to watch.
What a novel idea, lets have a mobile QB that can run and throw. Sounds like CFL doesn’t it. :roll:
Look at the Super Bowl, it went from a blowout to a blackout to a shootout, it turned into a CFL game after the half.
I agree with the theory above regarding QBs who are more mobile, as in our own game. I think it increases the entertainment quotient to a much higher level. This kind of play is more likely to happen on the bigger field and
of course, the positive spinoff effect would be fewer head injuries.
I hope the NFL has the sense to see and adapt this, at least, to the width of the Canadian field.
Is it clear that head injuries are less frequent or less serious in the CFL than the NFL? If so, is it clear that this is attributable to having a larger field?
In any event, if, as is suggested, the possible widening of the NFL field would be only a "small adjustment" given stadium configuration constraints, why would that small adjustment contribute to any significant reduction in head injury severity or frequency?
I'd love to see a larger field in the NFL. Hell, I'd love to see them adopt Canadian rules altogether... I think we have a better game. But I don't think it's going to happen, and I don't see injury reduction as a likely or a sound basis for them making such a change.
There are much less head injuries in the CFL. Would the NFL be able to widen the field enough to make a difference there would be only one way to find out and that is to actually do it. I do not think that there would be any stance that making the filed longer would help with head injuries. That would help with more scoring of TDs in the red zone if the end zones were bigger. The goal post would then be an issue.
Could be a good way for the USFL to get funding support from the NFL to test the wider fields. An interesting twist.
another possibility, and less intrusive/expensive manner, of expanding the NFL playing surface, would be to reduce the number of players per side from the current 11 to 10.
The NFLPA may not concur, although injury/concussion rates would likely decrease.
That will never happen. US football is an 11 man game. going to 10 players would drastically change the game and the schemes. The NFL is not looking to change the the game itself thats why widening the field a little bit would be of the least noticed for fans watching the game.
Oh yea I agree going widening the filed by 13 yards would undoubtedly change the game a lot. I do not think that they would be able to go that wide a modest 2 feet on each side may not be of ant help either as is being discussed on talk radio.
true, 2 feet each side is likely too modest of an increase to incur much difference, although a full Canadian football size 65 yards width would certainly alter the landscape a considerable extent.
IMHO this is just a Cover your Butt move by the NFL to make it look like they are adressing a big problem.
There are now 4,000 ex NFL players launching a class action lawsuit against the NFL.
There are currently 12,000 current and retired living NFL Players.
That means 33% of all Living players are suing the NFL for huge money numbers!
According to a Washington Times database, more than 4,000 retired players have sued the NFL over head injuries suffered during their playing careers. Below is a breakdown by position and seasons played.
By position By seasons played
Pos. No. Seasons No.
DB - 744- 0-3 - 1,249
LB- 593- 3-6 - 1,108
OL- 571- 6-9 - 904
RB- 547- 9-12- 575
DL- 537- 12-15- 185
WR- 416- 15-18- 42
Undeclared387- 18-21- 8
TE - 256
QB - 97
P - 35
K- 22
» Source Washington Times
There are roughly 12,000 living former NFL players. About 4,000 of them are currently suing the league over head injuries, according to a Washington Times database. In other words, one out of every three former players is actively seeking a piece of the NFL's yearly $9.5 billion pie, which they helped create.
, so you have to make it a bit easier to score a td as a result of not having that extra down.