Game-Play changes you'd like to see

Dont like the rule that if you get one challenge right and another one wrong, you have none left. It should be if you get one right, you still get another one regardless of what happens your second one. That's really all I'd change off the top of my head. Oh and also if a player goes down injured after the 2 minute warning, he should not be allowed back for the remainder of the half unless a timeout is called. Would stop players going down just to stop the clock.

ReacherCreature wrote: »

While I'm here. I don't like the overtime rules. Just don't agree with going 20-40 yards and then kicking it. Rubbish.

They've been changed now. If the team who first receives the ball scores a FG, the other team has one possession to either score a FG or a TD. If they score a FG and the scores are tied again, then it is next score wins.

Wouldn't mind if coaches could challenge certain penalties like pass interference. Will never happen though.

If they get it right every time, then fair play to them, but that rarely happens. If I was employed head coach of a team tomorrow (one can but dream) then one of the first things I would do is hire Mike Perreira or someone like him simply to look at instant replays and tell me if I should challenge them. Get an expert in, your success ratio would skyrocket.

Now I am back I thought I would wade in here

jman0war good thread by the way kudos.

Just a couple of things on what changes you would like to see though:

PAT: 4 of the 11 misses this season cost the respective team their game and were crucial. Although very low the PAT is the easy option for points after. Teams do have a right to make life difficult for themselves if they so wish choose by going for 2 which we all know is a gamble.

But as for changing the 1 point and angles and all of that. No thanks. You are asking kickers to change their method not just in the NFL but all the way back through college and high school. You change the Pros you would have to change High school and College games also where Kicking is already a lot harder than the Pros. HS and College football have high amount of PAT misses every year where they are truly not a given. Pros make it look a lot easier than it really is.

To kick a PAT you need a strong solid line, A long snapper is literally inch perfect every time, a holder you know is going to bring that ball in and down and set it up on time and a kicker who can make the kick while under pressure.

I just think as easy as it sounds to change it, you are asking a lot more than you think.

Drop Goals: Have you ever tried to drop kick an American Football? Not as easy as a Rugby ball thats for sure. American Footballs are lighter and smaller than Rugby balls and dont have that flat nose so when it hits the ground the point will make it go away from your foot almost every time. I have Rugby players in UCD on my AF team and they have tried and failed trying to drop kick a ball when they do it regularly in Rugby. Now add the pressure to the ball in motion. Bad idea.


Some things I would like to see changed:

The penalty for PI as someone pointed out. In the NFL the penalty is enforced from the point of contact of the PI. In the NCAA its from the previous spot. I think I would rather see the NCAA ruling of it in the Pros.

Also PI itself. Far too much lenience given to Offensive players. Needs to change.

The umpire put back in the spot he was before they move him behind the Defense. So many more holding calls missed this past NFL season.

Few more may come to mind.

jman0war wrote: »

Was reading an article about nfl and concussions.
And they said that it's not only the big hits that matter.
Neurosurgeon was quoted as saying that all the little blows add-up over time.

Article also made the point that in Aussie Rules Football, which is another rough contact sport, the concussion rate is way way lower, even tho they wear no pads whatsoever.

You can see in that video that the kids are "top heavy", it's true with NFL as well. Thus they lean their upper body and head into hits. You can see the difference in aussie rules, they shoulder-in and look to be more upright, not leading with their head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiGoqObb0YQ

I do agree that American Footballers are top heavy but comparing to the AFL is not a fair comparison.

If you tried using your shoulder to tackle a ball carrier in AF a high % of the time you wont bring them down or stop them in their tracks the majority of the time. The ball carrier who will also have his shoulder dropped will counter act you coming at him with your shoulder.

Shoulder blocks are more a form of blocking someone or bringing them down when they dont see you coming or have not prepared to take the hit i.e a WR catching the football or making a play on the ball. Or hitting the ball carrier side on where he is blindsided. Or laying a shoulder on someone to take him out of a play to protect you ball carrier.

But I will say the AFL are starting to take note of increasing concussions and shoulder injuries over the last decade. Throwing your shoulder into someone without pads is not as safe as people make out and can cause long term damage. As athletes get faster and stronger as the years go by it will eventually become a major concern like any contact sport.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/shoulder-injuries-speed-of-game-afl-looks-for-link-20100420-srq0.html

In AF The only way to cut out long term damage is to remove the pads and it will cut down on how fast and how high they will tackle each other. But lets be real it will never happen as AF is what it is. The best they can do is find ways to teach better technique and methods to slow it down and give these athletes a better future.

Guys like James Harrison who is always in the media launches himself in head first a lot and if he were a high school or college player now growing up the coaches of said team should be correcting his technique to stop going in head first. Thus minimising to an extent the amount of contact with ones head.

AF is most likely up there at the top of the list when it comes to health issues in the long term. But Rugby and Aussie Rules and Rugby League are all looking into the increasing concerns over player safety. As I said as Athletes get bigger and faster these injuries will increase across the board regardless of the method used.