NFL Competition Committee Offers Up Rule Change Proposals

The NFL's Competition Committee announced several rules changes will be proposed and voted on at next week’s annual meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Rules proposed were as follows: 

1. The Bills proposed giving instant replay decisions to an official in the booth and not the referee on the field. Committee head Rich McKay said it was proposed to speed up the replay process.

2. The Steelers proposed adopting the postseason overtime rules for regular-season games too.

3. The Competition Committee proposed adopting the college rule for too many men on the field, making it a deadball foul.

4. The Competition Committee proposed adding turnovers to the plays that are reviewed automatically, like all scoring plays were last season.

Key By-Law Proposals

1. Moving the trade deadline to after Week 8. It currently is after Week 6.

2. Increasing the offseason/training camp roster limit to 90 players, up from 80, but also count unsigned draft picks, which currently do not count.

3. Adding an injured reserve category in which if a player is carried on the roster through the first weekend of the regular season, that player could be placed on a reserve list and be allowed to practice six weeks later and play two weeks after that.

4. Designate a one-spot roster exemption for a player with a concussion.

There's lots to chew on there, but my initial reaction is that most of these seem like no-brainers, other than the proposal to have every turnover automatically reviewed which I think is overkill.

But I love the idea of moving the trade deadline and a rule enabling a player to come back after being placed on injured reserve is long overdue. 

The proposals will be presented to the teams next Monday and voted upon on Wednesday. Changes need to be approved by 24 of the 32 teams.