Rule Changes For The 2009 Season

During the last couple of CFl games I have watched not just games with the riders I have heard some announcers talking about rule changes they would like to see for the 2009 season.So I was wondering what rule changes the fans of the CFL would like to see for the 2009 season and why?

For me I would like to see the CFL add rule making it illigal to do what I call a Halo Tackle.A halo tackle is when a player is grabbed by the neck and thrown to the turf.I have seen some takles like that and I am shocked no one has suffered a broken neck from it yet.The other thing I would like to see is a tighting up of the taunting rules.Like after a td for example I have no problem with a player doing a little clebration afterwards but when you get 5 or 6 players all dancing around it just wastes time and isn't needed.

it is already illegal....At least what they call a horse collar tackle is,

Please, let's not turn this into the No Fun League. If a group of players want to celebrate in the end zone, I'm fine with that. But what I don't like is the Stamps' rowing dance, or the Toronto player's Spider-man mask (was it Bruce or Talbot?). That sort of crap is juvenile and just delays the game. But if guys want to group in the end zone and jump up or slap each other on the back, whatever, I'm fine with that.

They could take a look at finding a way to educate the officials to actually call the horse collar tackle, it hasn't been a real common occurrence but it has happened and I have yet to see it called this year.

They could also take a look at what Suitor was talking about, penalizing a team for taking a safety by forcing them to kickoff from further back. Not a bad suggestion in my mind.

I think some fans confuse the horse collar with simply pulling a guy from the back of his jersey.

I know Burris himself had it wrong, when he accused Barranchea of doing it to him.

Horse collar to me is grabbing the guy from the back of the shoulder pad around the collar, nothing else.

Make the rouge only count on returnable kicks...

Change illegal kick-off & punt out of bounds rules so any kick that bounces in bounds is ok. I hate seeing kickers get penalized for a bad bounce. The 20 yard line rule for punts seems a little arbitrary to me too... keep all kicking rules consistent.

No need to change the rouge rule.

As far as kicking farther back after giving up a safety, I have no problem with that. Maybe do the same for teams conceding a single (start at the 20 or 25), maybe that would encourage running the ball out of the EZ more (and thus making the game a bit more exciting).

Those are the type of things I meant when I ssiad when four or five guys are involed.I have no problem with jumping up and high fiving or slapping each on the back either.Its the Junvillie ones like you mentioned thast I hate.

I believe that teams used to have to kick from the 20 (25?) yard line after a safety, rather than the current 35. That may have some impact on the decision. The other thing you can do is make conceded safety's 3 points - then you're the same as a field goal in scoring - maybe you take the chance and kick more often.

The other rule change I'd like is on illegal punts out of bounds - adjust the choices so the team accepting the penalty can either have them kicking team re-kick from 10 yards back, or add 10 yards to the out-of-bounds spot and scrimmage there. We're seeing no real penalty now, as it is often shanks that go out of bounds in the air, so no one is forcing the re-kick.

yeah, I suppose making a team kick from further back after a safety is a good idea.

I dunno what else to think of really.

but the referees truly need to make a point of re-training so many of their officials.

I heard Suitor say on TSN that after a team gives up a safety, that they should kick off 10 yards back from their 25 yd line. I would like to see the receiving team given the option of taking the ball at their 45 yd line.

I don't care how its changed, but the safety rule must be changed to punish the offending team more.
Because there is nothing more boring then watching the kicker run around the endzone like a litle girl.
Plus it penalizes the defensive team by taking away the field position they earned for the offense.
Either make a safety three points, or make them kick off from the ten yard line, or whatever.
But changes must be made for next season.

  1. A time count violation on third down in the last two minutes of each half is counted as a play and the ball turned over. ( I hate running down the clock crap)

  2. Each team recieves 2 challenges, however if both are successfull, the team recieves a third. (the benefits of being right)

  3. Players who do not make any effort to stop running forward and violate the no yards boundry and hit the reciving player when the punt is caught in the air recieve a 25 yard penalty. ( Call it the Browner Penalty if you want )

  4. Players that scramble and punch in the pile after the whistle is blown will recieve a 15 yard penalty. ( maybe Murphy won’t get his eyes poked out for being a pile prick anymore)

  5. Players that celebrate over a tackled or downed player preventing that player from getting up shall recieve a 15 yard penalty. (Seen some teams do this when the other is in hurry up to prevent the play getting off too soon)

  6. Recievers and Defensive backs cannot be contacted (touched) after the first 10 yards from scrimage at all. Players running crossing patterns within that 10 yards can be blocked or hit by either team (no holding, chopping etc). (Let’s open the recieving game up a little, and make those recievers keep their heads up on those close crossing patterns)

Number one ain’t gonna happen–mostly because it isn’t a very good idea.
Number two is okay, though personally, I remain on the side of getting rid of replay altogether.
Three through five are not rule changes, you just want them to enforce existing rules more closely. I somewhat agree.
I can’t see much happening in that regard though.
Number six, I have a problem with. If what you mean by “opening up the receiving game” is, receivers running over the middle getting killed, and a steady diet of penalties on longer routes, by all means. The only thing that needs to change on routes and coverage, is to call the plays more consistently. The rules themselves are fine as is.

I don't agree with number 1 at all....time management is part of the game.
for number 2 I would like that they don't lose the challenge if they are right
If you lose the first you have one left, win the second and you still have one left until you lose, as long as you have a timeout left

For the rest
Its like Arius says, enforce the rules as they are now and be consistent!

I thought of one other thing I would liketo see as a rule

When a reciever jumps up to make the catch he cannot be touched until both feet hit the turf again.

I have seen where a recier goes up and the defender will come in and sweep there legs out causing them to land on there necks.I am honestly shocked the more reciers haven't been injured in situations like that.

I have to agree the officals need to to start calling the rook as its written and if the players want to whine about there beeining to many pentalities called I say touch nails.They have only them selves to blame for getting penalized in the first place.

So what you want is NFL rules

Sorry but the fair catch is stupid, that and watching 24 guys stand around and watch a ball roll
Sorry but you don’t get the point for missing the field goal
Nothing wrong with giving up a safety
You cant leave the ball inside the 1 The D has to give a 1 yard buffer zone. If the ball was on the 1 foot line there would be no way to stop them…you would have to go to the NFL rule of lining up with no neutral zone…

SO like I said… You want he NFL

Its beyond me how we have the greatest game there is, and everyone wants to change it

...I thought of one...receivers cannot leave the ground with both feet, at any given time one foot has to be on the ground...this will slow the game up I understand but the chance for a neck injury is greatly reduced....I also advocate the need to have all players strap various size and colour of pillows all over themselves...

I don’t think you have to worry about many people agreeing with you.

The CFL doesn’t have to work hard to be different, it just IS different. There is no working at it. If anything, it is the NFL that has worked hard at differentiating itself and creating “America’s game.” Moving the goal posts back, instituting the fair catch (by far the MOST boring play in all of American football), one man in motion in the backfield, and several other rules have all contributed to creating American football as we know it today; a game that is often dull beyond belief and only occasionally has flashes of brilliance, despite the high quality of its players. And just so you don’t accuse me of being biased towards Canadian football, I should point out that I am a Raider season ticket holder. While I LOVE going to Raider games, the quality of the GAME itself (never mind the teams involved) is really secondary to the event, because American football is just not very exciting most of the time, but the event (especially at Raider games) is incredibly fun.

The CFL on the other hand, with its characteristic rules that encourage excitement, such as deep end zones, posts on the goal line, no fair catch, and unlimited backfield motion, generally tends to be FAR more exciting, even with the smaller stadiums, more restrictive tailgating laws, and less stellar talent. This is because the GAME is what’s important in the CFL. The spectacle of the EVENT is less important.

The CFL is not, nor is it likely to ever be, a feeder system for the NFL. It is a bona fide professional league that stands on its own merits as high quality, culturally and historically significant, sports entertainment. No amount of tinkering with rules or pandering to the NFL can ever hope to improve on what is already at its pinnacle as a sport. Indeed, mindless tinkering in an effort to move the game closer to NFL rules can only hurt the game so many millions love so much.

The Single Point, as has been debated countless times in this forum, is a play that awards field position, not failure. No Yards forces returns and avoids the stultifying boredom of the Fair Catch. These are rules that WORK in the Canadian game. These are rules that help make the Canadian game what it is. Please try and understand them before calling for them to be replaced with rules from an inferior game such as the NFL.