by The Lions found themselves very active participants in policy change proposals.
On Monday afternoon, the NFL announced the 2023 player rule changes, bylaws and resolutions submitted by individual teams this year. Altogether there were nine new rule proposals, two new statute proposals and four resolution proposals. If you want to see them all you can click here.
More interestingly, however, the Detroit Lions were responsible for four of the total filings: three rule proposals and one bylaw proposal. Let’s take a closer look at the proposed changes.
Rule Suggestion #4 — Expand the coaches’ challenge system with personal fouls displayed on the pitch.
This one is pretty much taken for granted. The Lions just want to add personal fouls to the list of points that can be tackled by coaches. Here is the specific language they propose for the rulebook:
ARTICLE 11. PERSONAL FOULS. A challenge involving a personal foul as specified in Rule 12, Section 2 may only be initiated by a head coach when such a foul is indicated on the field of play. If the challenge is successful, the personal foul as determined by the challenging head coach will be disqualified.
Rule Suggestion #5 — Clubs to offer more opportunities for a third challenge.
This suggestion is very simple. Currently, teams are given two challenges. If they win both challenges, they get a third. The Lions propose a change. Detroit’s rule change states that if a team wins either challenge, they should be awarded a third.
Again, here’s the language change they suggest in the rulebook:
A team is allowed a third challenge if they succeed in at least one
bothits challenges. A fourth challenge is not allowed.
Rule Suggestion #6 — Expand the replay official’s purview to include consultations on penalty assessments.
Currently, replay officials can pause play to correct “clear and obvious” errors on the pitch. However, the game types they are allowed to change are limited to the following options:
- (a) enforcement of sentences;
- (b) the right down;
- (c) spot of a foul;
- (d) the music box;
- (e) possession;
- (f) completed or intercepted pass;
- (g) Touching a loose ball, boundary line, goal line or end line;
- (h) location of the football or a player in relation to the boundary line, line of scrimmage, winning line or goal line; or
- (i) Out by contact (when a player is not eliminated by contact on the field of play)
The Lions propose a tenth item subject to change by the replay official – the waiver of a penalty affecting the player’s position:
- (j) a foul called involving a player’s position or action at, beyond or behind a specified distance from the line of scrimmage.
As for the proposed statute, it includes the restoration of an old rule that was abolished in 2011. The Lions are proposing to allow an emergency third quarterback on game days that do not count towards the active game day tally. Here is the exact wording of the proposal:
Each club may also designate a third emergency quarterback from its inactive list or practice squad, eligible to be activated during the game if and only if the club’s first two quarterbacks on its active list on the game day are marked “out”. be excluded. for the remainder of the game due to injury or disqualification. If the designated emergency quarterback is activated, neither of the club’s first two quarterbacks may re-enter the game, even if they are subsequently relieved of an injury or if the third quarterback is injured and unable to continue playing. A club is not eligible to use these procedures if it has three quarterbacks on its game-day active roster. Any emergency third quarterback activated from the practice squad will be treated as a standard raise under Article 33, Section 5 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, except that the raise will not count towards the club’s three regular season raises for the player and the raise will not counted against the club’s two raises per game. Each quarterback in a club’s practice squad must be listed on the club’s Game Status Injury Report. An activated third emergency quarterback may not participate in any other position as a quarterback, including but not limited to special teams. A practice team player designated as a club’s third emergency quarterback will not receive their applicable minimum salary under Section 5 unless promoted/activated for the Game.
It’s unclear how likely any of these proposals will happen, but they will no doubt be on the agenda during owner meetings later this month in Arizona (March 26-29).
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