CFL needs your Input for New Rules....

[Rammer]

CFL INVITES CANADIANS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO OUR RULES COMMITTEE
This is Our League means "it belongs to every Canadian who cares about the CFL and supports it"


Toronto, ON (February 19, 2009) -- For the first time, Canadian Football League (CFL) fans are being asked to propose rules changes that can "make our great game even better," says Commissioner Mark Cohon.



"We know our fans have the best interests of our game at heart, that they cherish its traditions, understand what makes it unique, and yet want to make it even stronger," Cohon said yesterday after inviting fans to submit their suggestions to the league's rules committee.



"So it makes purrfect sense to include them in our annual discussion of rule changes. It's part of what we mean when we say This is Our League: it belongs to every Canadian who cares about the CFL, and supports it."



Fans are asked to send their ideas by visiting CFL.ca/rules or by emailing -- rules@cfl.ca -- by Friday, February 27. They will be shared with the members of the league's rules committee as it prepares to meet as part of the annual CFL Congress, this year in Hamilton on March 3rd and 4th.



"Our fast-paced, wide-open, three-down game is a great game, and that was never clearer than last season, when scoring was up, games were close, and exciting finishes were the order of the day. But everything can be improved," Cohon said in a message to fans posted on the league's website, CFL.ca.



"That's the spirit in which our rules committee gathers each year during CFL Congress. A collection of team presidents, general managers, coaches and officials, along with a representative of the players' association, it meets to discuss which rules should be replaced, changed or tweaked to make our game even better," he said.



"This year, we're asking you to provide input to the committee. We want your ideas and suggestions. We can't promise the committee will accept them all. But we will make sure your ideas are shared with its members."



Tom Higgins, the CFL's director of officiating, said it's impossible to predict the outcome of this year's meeting.



"The committee takes its task very seriously, and has tremendous respect for the game and its place in our country," Higgins said.



"The changes it has brought forward over the years to the Board of Governors have ranged from significant innovations, such as our overtime format, to subtle changes in how we interpret existing rules. Sometimes, new ideas make their way into our rule book, sometimes they fall by the wayside because of a lack of consensus, and sometimes they're tabled for further research and refinement," he said.



"What we can say without a doubt about this year's discussion is that it can only be strengthened by including input from our fans."

[Tighthead]

I've been over this several times, but I would like to see coaches less willing to take an intentional safety. Move the kick back after a safety.

[Rammer]

I've been over this several times, but I would like to see coaches less willing to take an intentional safety. Move the kick back after a safety.

That concept seems to have been a fan favourite, just difficult for the CFL to grasp. The safety is a good strategy, but it shouldn't be used to keep points off the boards as often as it has been over the last few seasons. Nothing is more boring than watching a punter run around the endzone before stepping out several times a game.

[West Coast Blue Fan]

Hits to the head need to have zero tolerance....regardless of position.

Someone is going to get killed out there one day if nothing is changed.

Also, why do reward missed field goals with a single point....get rid of that.

[#1 Lions Fan in SK]

I know this one won't be popular, but throwing the ball away (and not being intentional grounding if it crosses LOS) drives me crazy. I wish there would be better enforcement on the hits on the QB and they have to hold onto it or throw it out there. I think this really reflects a teams stats too with QB sacks. There are some QBs who just see a defender coming their way and they throw it out of bounds. JMO

[Jim Mullin]

Make a safety worth three points, or better yet a defensive touchdown.

That will stop the anti-entertainment of watching a punter waddle around the end zone in figure eights like a duck.

[Big Time]

I already wrote in pleading with them to get rid of the intentional safeties. If you make a safety worth 3 points, you will eliminate them almost immediately. I suspect that they will likely just move the kickoff back and if they do, it should be at least to the 15 yard line. If they do something weak like moving it to the 25 yard line, you will see no reduction whatsoever.

I also agree that the intentional grounding rule makes no sense. If a QB throws the ball away where there is no receiver, it should be intentional grounding regardless of whether the ball crosses the line of scrimmage.

I'm also entirely confused about the rules regarding kicking or punting the ball out of bounds.

Finally, the last big change I would make is that coaches should not be allowed unlimited challenges. Danny Machoochoo was notorious for waiting until the very last second to call a challenge. You should have 20 seconds to challenge a play and that's it. If you lose the challenge, you don't get any more for the half. Period. It is insufferable having to sit through a challenge at a live event.

[Sir Purrcival]

I would like to see a rule around throwing the replay flag for situations that are not reviewable. Too often coaches are throwing the flags for things they know cannot be reviewed so that they can have a little chat with the referee. That should be a 5 yard penalty on the first offense during a game, 10 yards on the second, 15 on the third and so on.

[Tighthead]

I would like to see a rule around throwing the replay flag for situations that are not reviewable. Too often coaches are throwing the flags for things they know cannot be reviewed so that they can have a little chat with the referee. That should be a 5 yard penalty on the first offense during a game, 10 yards on the second, 15 on the third and so on.

If they do this, please name it after Doug Berry?

[Tighthead]

Make a safety worth three points, or better yet a defensive touchdown.

That will stop the anti-entertainment of watching a punter waddle around the end zone in figure eights like a duck.

Isn't it exciting when they try to take a few second off the clock in the first half? One day one of those guys is going to drop the ball for six, or get killed from some unseen defender on the blindside. Either or both would be fine.

[Lion Guy]

[quote="West Coast Blue Fan"]Hits to the head need to have zero tolerance....regardless of position.

Someone is going to get killed out there one day if nothing is changed.

Also, why do reward missed field goals with a single point....get rid of that.[/quote]

If you do that you will wipe out the potential of returning missed field goals.. Sometimes that is exciting to watch

[Bobbyp]

I like everything the way it is.

[David]

Fans caught tossing objects down at players = automatic 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the home team.

DH 8)

[Wakesbetterthanyou]

I still say that you should have to punt from the 25 yard line after a safety.

[Tighthead]

Fans caught tossing objects down at players = automatic 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the home team.

DH 8)

Put me in a Riders jersey, fly me to Regina and watch me throw fastballs.