NFL Owners Meeting Wraps Up with Minor Rule Changes

The NFL owners just wrapped up their annual meeting in Orlando yesterday, so find out which rules will be changing for the upcoming NFL season.

While nothing major happened at the meeting, you may be happy to know that the PAT will be sticking around for the time being.

Owners decided not to abandon the PAT, but instead talked about moving it all the way back to the 25-yard-line, making it about a 38-yard kick, which according to past stats, would give kickers about an 80% chance to make the extra point.

The league will try out the new PAT system during the first two weeks of the preseason in order for owners to judge how it would play out so that they can decide on the issue at next year's meeting.

That wasn't the only thing that the owners debated about. Other proposals that were accepted and will be implemented at the start of the season include

- Officials can now use replay reviews to rule on lose ball recoveries.

- Five feet will be added to the goalpost uprights in order to reduce how many kicks go over the uprights and are left to the official’s judgment.

- The clock will keep running after a quarterback sack.

- "Roll Up Blocks," where a player hits the side of another players knee, are banned.

- Officials will now be able to talk with each other and the central replay office via wireless communications.

- The existing rule that bans the use of the football as a prop during touchdown celebrations will be extended to include dunking the ball over the crossbar.

So those are the rules that are being added for the upcoming season. But that's not the only issues that came up during the meeting. Rejected rule changes include

- Moving the kickoff from the 35 to the 40-yard-line.

- Giving coaches the power to challenge every play.

- Allowing officials to use replay to review personal foul calls.

And finally, there are a few issues that the league has decided to put on hold for the time being, including the PAT kicks. Other proposals that have been put on hold include

- Cancelling overtime during the preseason and letting the games end in a tie.

- Adding six boundary-line cameras at games to make replay reviews more conclusive.