NFL passes five player safety rules

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/24/nfl-passes-five-player-safety-rules/

NFL passes five player safety rules
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 24, 2015

The NFL continues to add rules designed to make the game safer.

At today’s league meeting, the owners approved five rules proposals, all of which had been suggested to make the game safer. The five new rules are:

1. Bans defensive players from pushing teammates at the line of scrimmage when the offense is in punt formation. (This rule already exists for situations when the offense is in field goal or extra point formation.)

2. Prohibits all offensive players from engaging in peel back blocks.

3. Gives receivers defenseless player protection when a pass is intercepted.

4. Makes it illegal for a running back to chop a defensive player engaged above the waist by another offensive player outside the tackle box.

5. Allows an injury spotter to stop the game if a player appears to have suffered a brain injury.

None of those rules will make a major difference to the game on the field. Fans might not even notice them. But if they make the game safer, approving them was an easy call.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-proposal-unanimously-approved-by-nfl-owners/

Injury timeout proposal unanimously approved by NFL owners
Posted by Darin Gantt on March 24, 2015

While it may not be a big week for rules changes, the NFL has taken at least one smart step which should make players safer.

Via Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the league unanimously approved the proposal to grant a medical timeout.

The rule will allow the injury spotter upstairs to communicate directly with the on-field officials, to stop the clock if a player appears to be shaken up to the point a further check is warranted.

Competition committee chairman Rich McKay said yesterday the proposal was sparked in part by Julian Edelman taking a hard shot in the Super Bowl, appearing woozy but staying in the game.

As you might imagine, Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t shed any light on what the team did or didn’t do in that situation, and Edelman himself has refused to say if he was checked for a concussion.

“You’d have to talk to the medical people about that. I was coaching the game,” Belichick said, via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

 

[Mackeyser]

Wow... Those are all actually good changes...

 

[Mojo Ram]

3. Gives receivers defenseless player protection when a pass is intercepted.

What does this mean exactly? Are we talking about AFTER an interception during a return?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

What does this mean exactly? Are we talking about AFTER an interception during a return?

When a ball is thrown and a WR goes to make the catch but misses it and it is intercepted, they often get lit up by another defender, because once they make the catch they are fair game under the idea that the Defender is trying to break up the catch.

So it would be the same as hitting a receiver who just caught the ball. The defenders will just have to tackle them cleanly without a charging hit that could injure.

That's my take on it anyway.

 

[Mojo Ram]

When a ball is thrown and a WR goes to make the catch but misses it and it is intercepted, they often get lit up by another defender, because once they make the catch they are fair game under the idea that the Defender is trying to break up the catch.

So it would be the same as hitting a receiver who just caught the ball. The defenders will just have to tackle them cleanly without a charging hit that could injure.

That's my take on it anyway.

Yeah i hope that's the translation. I was afraid that they were talking about lumping WR's in with QB's in terms of activity after the INT during a return, which would be further pussifying the game.