The Lions have found themselves to be very active participants in the suggestions for rule changes.
On Monday afternoon, the NFL announced changes to the 2023 Rules, Bylaws and Player Resolutions that have been submitted by individual teams this year. In total, there were nine new proposed rules, two new proposed statutes and four proposed resolutions. If you want to see them all, you can click here.
However, more interestingly, the Detroit Lions were responsible for four of the total submissions: three rule proposals and one settlement proposal. Let’s take a closer look at each of the proposed changes.
Proposed Rule No. 4 — Expand the coach challenge system to include personal fouls called on the pitch.
This one is pretty obvious. The Lions are simply looking to add personal fouls to the list of questionable items by coaches. Here is the specific language they propose for the rulebook:
ARTICLE 11. PERSONAL FAULTS. A challenge involving a personal foul, as stated in Rule 12, Section 2, may only be issued by a head coach when such a foul is called on the pitch. If the challenge is successful, the personal foul, as identified by the head coach who issued the challenge, is waived.
Proposed Rule No. 5 — Provide clubs with more opportunities for a third challenge.
This proposal is very simple. Currently, teams are offered two challenges. If they win both challenges, they receive a third one. The Lions propose an amendment to this. Detroit’s rule change states that if a team wins either challenge, they should be awarded a third.
Here, again, is the language change they propose in the rulebook:
A team will be entitled to a third challenge if they complete at least one
bothof its challenges. A fourth challenge will not be allowed.
Proposed Rule No. 6 — Expand the replay official’s jurisdiction to allow for consultation regarding the imposition of penalties.
Currently, replay officials can stop play to correct “clear and obvious” errors on the field. However, the types of games they are allowed to modify are limited to the following options:
- (a) the application of sanctions;
- (b) the right down;
- (c) point of fault;
- (d) the game clock;
- (e) possession;
- (f) completed or intercepted pass;
- (g) touch a loose ball, boundary line, goal line or end line;
- (h) the location of the ball or a player in relation to the boundary line, line of scrimmage, line to cross or goal line; Or
- (i) down by contact (when a player is not eliminated by contact on the court)
The Lions offer a 10th item that can be changed by the replay official, negating a penalty involving player position:
- (j) a foul which has been called involving a player’s position or action at, over or behind a specific distance from the line of scrimmage.
As for the settlement proposal, it involves bringing back an old rule that was abolished in 2011. The Lions are proposing to allow an emergency third quarterback on game days who will not count towards the game day list. assets. Here is the exact wording of the proposal:
Each club may also designate a third emergency quarterback from its inactive roster or practice squad, who may be activated during the game, if, and only if, the club’s first two quarterbacks on its roster active on the day of the match are excluded. for the remainder of the match due to injury or disqualification. If the designated emergency quarterback is activated, neither of the club’s first two quarterbacks may return to play, even if they are subsequently cleared of their injury or if the third quarterback becomes injured and cannot can’t continue playing. A club will not be able to use these procedures if it has three quarterbacks on its active roster on game day. Any third emergency quarterback activated from the practice squad will be treated as a standard lift as defined in Article 33, Section 5 of the NFL Collective Agreement, except that the lift will not count. not within the club’s three regular season elevations for the player and the elevation will not count towards the club’s two elevations per game. Any quarterback on a club’s practice squad must be listed on the club’s Game Status Injury Report. An activated emergency third quarterback may not participate in any position other than quarterback, including but not limited to special teams. A practice squad player who is designated as a club’s emergency third quarterback will only receive his applicable minimum wage under paragraph 5 if he is elevated/activated to play in the game.
It’s unclear how likely any of these proposals are to pass, but they will no doubt be listed at owners’ meetings later this month in Arizona (March 26-29).
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