Our Version of Football - Rules

This is just a fun topic to invent new rules that would enhance the product and making it more unique and different than the NFL without making it too crazy and unrelatable to our current three down version .

1 ) possibility of a forward lateral beyond the line of scrimmage

2 ) allowing more players to recover the kick ( right now you have to be behind the kicker) how about any player lined up 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage at time of snap

  1. how about a drop kick for three points hail mary time beyond the line of scrimmage probably seen done at the end of the game than anytime else

You sure? :lol:

I like all three of these. Although I’m not sure what advantage a drop lick would give you over a place kick (field goal)- element of surprise maybe? It would be pretty hard with a football’s pointy end. I love seeing those crazy plays at the end of games, if they happened more often it would be great.

Interesting proposals…my thoughts as an ex-offical.

  1. You’re talking about a second forward pass on some plays so my question would be does the thrower get the same protection as any per passer behind the line of scrimmage? What numbers would be eligible? All or the usual? Overall the idea kinda makes it Aussie Rules football which is entertaining but insane. Tough to officiate this play…think you got challenges now?

  2. First thing that springs to mind is the safety issue. Do you really want five more guys crashing the punt receiver? You’d be carting a half a dozen players off on stretchers every game, guaranteed. Also, almost impossible to officiate the numbers unless they all reported beforehand which would totall remove the element of surprise.

  3. Already legal.

Always fun to consider alt rules though…

Here's my beef with the rules as they are, I hate the "Breaking the plane" notion. If you break the plane, the ball enters the 3D space of the endzone but the player doesn't have possesion in the end zone. But if a player catches a ball in the 3D space of the endzone but doesn't land in the end zone it's no TD.

Personally I believe "Breaking the plane" should go way of the dodo and you should have posseion in the end zone for a TD.

Thoughts?

There's already a lot of young people I think I've heard that find the Canadian rules confusing because, presumably, they aren't American rules. Not dealing with rocket scientists obviously. But yes, always fun to consider new rules for sure.

Or go back to the rugby style, literal “touch down” ie in your hands, touching the grass to score.

Related to that, set up the conversion from a straight line back from where it was scored. Score in the corner = kick from the sideline.

None of the above.

Let the little tools look up the rules of their mobile device which is glued to their hands anyhow.

No new rules and less officiating and challenges.

Sorry, dumb idea

Thanks for the replies .

Just to clarify my nuty ideas :

1 forward lateral underhand pass after passing scrimmage just once per play

2 I agree five yards behind may not be enough maybe 10 would be better in punt formation kick has to go 25 yds minimum passed line of scrimmage

3 The drop kick would be allowed not behind line of scrimmage but after so I am not sure that is currently allowed
the advantage coming from running out of option to make it down field and within 3 point behind you would be able to kick thru the posts instead . If this is allowed forget I mentioned it . **Flutie dropped kick one thru the Patriots games but it was behind the line of scrimmage and it was an extra point though .

I like it there is no doubt and it is more with the original rugby rule .

I would like this rule removed as it unfairly serves to aid the receiving team. If the defensive line is permitted to withdraw back to set up early, for a punt return, the offensive line should be allowed to adapt immediately on the play, from blocking to stopping any forward progress by the receiving team when the punt is received.

Illegally Downfield On Kick
On a play from scrimmage in which Team A punts the ball a player of the kicking team who is one of the interior block of five ineligible Line Players may not advance beyond theScrimmage Zone (one yard in advance of the Line of Scrimmage) until the ball is kicked.

A drop kick is legal from anywhere on the field already. (Technically, there's nothing in the rules preventing a place kick from anywhere on the field. Can't see anyone trying it, though.) I don't remember when the last one was (aside from Flutie's), but I do remember Wilkinson attempting one as he was running downfield in the '70s. It's just such a low percentage play, it's not used anymore - kind of like the quick kick (punt on second down). The only case I could see it happening on is what you mentioned, on the last play of a tight game where the ball carrier knows he has no chance of getting to the end zone.

Even similar sports that allow forward passes (e.g. Australian rules, Irish football) restrict how the ball can be launched (e.g. bump with the fist). I'm thinking a straight underhand toss would make it too easy to make the completion, which I think is why the restrictions are there.

As for being onside on a kick, I'd like to see players being able to put themselves back onside by getting behind an onside player, which I think is the rule in rugby.

I'd also like to see the rouge only awarded if the ball is playable, i.e. it hits the ground in bounds or in the goal area. If it flies through the end zone and lands out of bounds, no point. (This isn't exactly what you were looking for, I know, as it makes it slightly closer to what happens in the NFL.)

Yes and change the rouge only if the ball is playable! That go back to the rugby rule of a touchdown.

Good stuff I would like to see a drop kick for three at the end of the game a catch and a kick for three with no time remaining to win or tie would be amazing . Probably tried when the kicker is too far away or the throw too far for a hail mary .***** I could see Dave Stala catching and kicking he was a great athlete and was capable of both .

Thought provoking....but second forward pass is nuts. See the former official's comments.

I would like to propose a couple of simple changes...

  1. Offensive penalties that are assessed at 'half the distance to the goal line' are not penalties.....I'd rather see the yard sticks move further up the field than move the ball back half the distance. 1st and 20 from your own 6 yard line vs 1st and 13 from your own 3.
  2. Assessing penalties on touchdown plays on the ensuing kick off. Forget that. Assess it on the convert. Either spot it on the 1 for a 2 pt attempt or on the 5 for a 1 pt kick. You commit a defensive penalty on a TD play - you are going to pay.

That's it for now!

Just to clarify an under hand lateral not overhand but I would love to see it implemented in a preseason game both ways .

Liven up those games a bit or add a quircky third game for shiz and giggles.

How about this half brained idea ; lets have the last place team in each division get one extra preseason game to implement a few experiment rules every year . Home field goes to the worst record over all .

I would love to see NFL rules played on our playing field (once) to see what it would look like at the pro level .

I think it would be curiosity game that would get a few extra viewers in every year . A great way to start the exhibition season every year like the NFL's Canton HOF game.

I like this idea, but I’d go with a hybrid. March off the “half the yards”, but then move the sticks up the rest of the yards. So in your example, it’d be 1st and 20 from your own 3 (10 yard penalty, move back 3, and move the sticks forward the other 7). There’s still something to be said about getting pushed back to the goal line.

  • if you punt it directly out-of-bounds “anywhere” its a penalty and no rouge as well, ball is placed at “point of punt” to the other team

  • rouge on field goals only if returnable (ie. bounces of the ground inbounds)

  • 5-yard protection halo goes away after punt bounces

  • pics are legal for receivers

  • holding is only if the defensive player goes to ground (so hard for refs to call, make it black and white hold plus defensive player goes to ground)

  • Punt is a live ball for anyone not of the line of scrimmage (6 eligible players plus kicker)

  • post-Safety kickoff is from goaline

  • 3 Cdns starters minimum at all times (teams are stacking 6-7 on O and 0-1 on D; weaker D means more points)

  • 15 sec play clock & promote no huddle offences with all eligible offensive players wear radio helmets (not just QB)

Some good ones here. Others, not so much, although none that make me scream “NO!”

My comments are in emoticons and italics.