GREEN BAY—NFL owners will vote on 13 rules-change and seven bylaws-change proposals during next week's NFL "Annual Meeting" in Orlando, Fla.
Six of the rules-change proposals were authored by the league's competition committee, of which Packers President Mark Murphy is a member. The other seven rules-change proposals were authored by two teams: Patriots (four) and Redskins (three).
The following are the rules-change proposals:
Proposal No. 1 (Redskins) -- Move the kickoff line from the kicking team's 35-yard line to the kicking team's 40-yard line. Reason -- Player safety and historic consistency.
Proposal No. 2 (Redskins) -- Make all personal foul penalties subject to replay review. Reason -- Competitive fairness and integrity of the game.
Proposal No. 3 (Redskins) -- Eliminate overtime periods in preseason games. Reason -- Player safety.
Proposal No. 4 (Patriots) -- Extend the goal posts an additional five feet above the cross bar. Reason -- Currently a definitive ruling cannot be made on many field goal attempts that cross over the top of the goal posts.
Proposal No. 5 (Patriots) -- Move the line of scrimmage for try kicks to the defensive team's 25-yard line. Reason -- Make the try kick a more competitive play.
Proposal No. 6 (Patriots) -- Placed fixed cameras on all boundary lines. Reason -- Guarantees coverage along these lines regardless of where network cameras are positioned.
Proposal No. 7 (Patriots) -- Allow a coach to challenge any official's decision except on scoring plays and turnovers. Reason -- More extensive use of replay review system.
The following are rules-change proposals authored by the competition committee:
Proposal No. 8 -- Make rolling up on the side of the leg of a defender illegal. Reason -- Player safety.
Proposal No. 9 -- Allow referee to consult with members of the NFL officiating department during replay reviews. Reason -- Improve consistency and accuracy in replay decisions, and shorten time for review.
Proposal No. 10 -- Expand reviewable plays to include the recovery of a loose ball in the field of play. Reason -- Allows replay review system to correct an officiating error.
Proposal No. 11 --Game clock will continue running after a quarterback sack outside two minutes of either half. Reason -- Officiating consistency.
Proposal No. 12 --The restriction on pass interference will apply when the action takes place anywhere beyond the line of scrimmage, instead of more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage. Reason -- Current rules provides offense (blocking beyond line of scrimmage) unfair advantage.
Proposal No. 13 --Change spot of enforcement for defensive fouls committed behind the line of scrimmage to the previous spot. Also change spot of enforcement for defensive fouls committed during a running play before a change of possession, and for fouls committed by the receiving team during post-possession plays. Reason -- Simplifies penalty enforcement.
The following are bylaws-change proposals and their authors:
Proposal No. 1 (Redskins) --Increase number of active-list players for regular-season games played on a day other than Sunday or Monday from 46 to 49. Reason -- Player safety.
Proposal No. 2 (Redskins) --Raise the practice squad limit from eight to 10 players. Reason -- Player safety.
Proposal No. 3 (Redskins) --Permit clubs to trade players prior to the start of the league year. Reason -- Gives players under contract for the upcoming year an opportunity to earn their current contract rather than being terminated.
Proposal No. 4 (Redskins) --Eliminate the cutdown to 75 players. Reason -- Player safety and development.
Proposal No. 5 (Redskins) -- Permit more than one player to return to active list from the club's reserve/injured list. Reason -- Current rule is unnecessarily restrictive.
Proposal No. 6 (Eagles) --Permit each club to time and test at its facility 10 players who attended the league combine. Also permit clubs to attend any timing and testing session at another club's facility that involves three or more draft-eligible players. Reason -- Clubs in some metropolitan areas have limited opportunity to time and test draft-eligible players at their facility.
Proposal No. 7 (competition committee) --Adjust the time of the roster reduction to 53 to 4 p.m. New York time on the Saturday of the fourth preseason week in years when there are no games scheduled for that Friday. Reason --* *Provides teams more time to evaluate players for whom waivers have been requested at the final roster reduction.
