Five of the Most Ridiculous Rules in the NFL

I know this will come as a surprise, but the NFL is not perfect. Some of the rules are flawed and cause numerous head-scratching moments for fans. 

Usually we do not care too much until it affects our teams or game-watching experience in a negative way. There are many ridiculous rules out there in the NFL and not enough space here to address all of them. I have narrowed them down to the ones that are worse than the rest.

Let’s take a look at the five most ridiculous rules that the NFL enforces.

Pass Interference Penalty

In college football, a pass interference infraction results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Move to the pros and all of the sudden this penalty results in the ball being placed at the spot of the foul. 

While I understand the logic, it seems a little drastic. There should be a cap put on how many yards are awarded to the offended team, especially for a penalty that relies on the perspective of the official. One official sees a little bumping as football, while the next sees it as pass interference.

It’s hard to make the call 100 percent consistent, so why make the cost so great?

Extra Point

This is not necessarily a rule, but a ridiculous function of the game. I agree with Bill Belichick. What is the point with a PAT? (Pun intended) The NFL should make things much more interesting and force teams to go for a two-point conversion after every score. It would add an interesting dynamic to the game.

Overtime Rules

Last year the league changed their overtime rules, but just during the playoffs. Not only is it just for the playoffs, but it was a weak change—a good one yes, but weak. 

I love how college football does overtime. Place each team in the red zone and give them a shot, then flip the script. It’s exciting smash mouth football, and you don’t have to wait on the teams to travel 80-100 yards down the field. Each offense sees the ball, and each defense gets an opportunity to make a stop. 

It’s perfect, and the NFL should see that.

New Kickoff Rule

While I understand that the point of this rule is to limit injuries, I cannot help but agree with the majority of the fan base that this rule limits one of the most exciting plays in the game. 

Nothing gets your heart pumping faster than a Desean Jackson kickoff return for a touchdown, whether you are an Eagles fan or not.

Please NFL, return the kickoff to its original 30-yard line. Please.

The Rooney Rule

If used correctly, the Rooney Rule would be more beneficial to the league. Unfortunately, a lot of times it is not, so it may never fulfill it's original purpose.

If teams have already made up their mind on whom they are going to hire, they should not have to interview coaches for no good reason to satisfy the Rooney Rule. That is essentially what ends up occurring in a lot of situations. Just ask the Redskins and Seahawks.

How do you fix this?

You cannot remove the rule now that it is in place, but you can adjust it to still be effective. Many large organizations are penalized if they don’t hire a certain percentage of minorities to their staff. So perhaps you attack this from the perspective of an entire team’s staff and not necessarily the head coaching job? 

The point is, teams have made a mockery of the rule by setting up worthless interviews. It needs fixed.