We saw the league Commissioner change the challenge rule midseason 2017.

I believe his change put an end to the horse hockey where the head coaches were trying to leverage the delicate rules on pass interference and defensive back obstruction on receivers. It took control of the game out of the referees hands in using fine judgement or in evening up the calls.

Still, the zebras make multiple mistakes per game, often more than one critical call. Increasing the tempo of the game needs to be balanced with eliminating egregious referee decisions.

Personally, I would like to see more timeouts per half (perhaps two or even three). I think it would prove the quality of the game and increase scoring. To that end what I would prefer to see changed is an increase the number of challenges available to the coach BUT that an unsuccessful challenge would have a severe penalty: for instance, an unsuccessful challenge would cost the challenger a 10 yard penalty for delay of game plus the loss of a timeout. The end of frivolous "it won't hurt to try" challenges might prove to provide better balance and tone to the game. Challenges would only be made when the coach was sure the referees had made a serious blunder.

Another rule change I would like to see is making the safety touch more onerous. Often football is a game of field position and the coaches know that giving up 2 points is better than giving up 3 or 7 when having to punt from deep in your own end.

What can be done on the safety? One solution would be to kick off from deeper in your own end than the 25 yard line. Another would be to have to punt instead of kick off from the 25 (as we see in the NFL). A third possibility  would be to increase the scoring of a safety from 2 points to 3 points. The goal is to get teams to punt instead of taking the safety.  Then all the hard work of a good defence would not go  so severely unrewarded.

I would also like to see an increase in the number of players that can dress for a game and also to increase the roster size to include players that have typically been hidden on the injury list; the goal would be to get some who are on the practice roster onto the main roster.  There is an economic challenge here but I believe it can be worked out without too much damage to profitability. I would also like to see more designated imports  dressed  to improve the quality and flexibility of each team. 

The last suggestion I have right now is the next time there is a negotiation with the CFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION I hope that instead of just increasing the salary cap we would see an increase in the number of Canadians on the roster, perhaps by a factor of 4 to 6 players. There is a shortage of quality players coming out of the Canadian college system and the junior teams. Having more Canadian players (who might not even dress game day) would allow for a higher level of learning and instruction thus increasing the size of the Canadian talent pool that all teams could draw upon..

In the NFL, not that we need to clone them, their rules committee makes changes every year to lower the number of potential injuries and also to improve the flow and quality of the game. I believe the CFL also needs to continue to amend their rules to make the game safer and more entertaining.

The changes I have proposed here have been on my mind for a long long time. Some proposals made in the past on the site by me and other members have been adopted by the league. I don't know whether we were originators of the ideas but in the very least we provided the league's rule committee with some confirmation of what the fans thought would improve the game.

What do you have in terms of ideas to improve the CFL?

This is a better rule change...

CFL coaches won’t be allowed to challenge illegal contact calls this season.

The CFL eliminated illegal contact as a challengeable call Wednesday, and the change will be in place when the regular season kicks off next month.

 

Edited May 23, 20187 yr by Mr Dee

45 minutes ago, Mr Dee said:

To me, if the QB and the receiver make the proper reads and if the receiver makes a play for the ball, and catches it inbounds, then he should not be subject to a hit that will make the call ‘no catch’.  

For me, pushing an airborne receiver out of bounds is just a variation on "Qb and the receiver make the proper reads etc etc" but then the DB makes a play and jars the ball loose and it's no catch.

Gotta win the whole play, not just the catch.

Edited May 23, 20187 yr by johnzo

1 hour ago, Mr Dee said:

QUOTE:

Pulled from the Official CFL website today:

The so-called “force out rule” is eliminated: a receiver catching a ball has to place at least one foot inbounds regardless of whether he was contacted in mid-air. 

This will change how D play the perimeter (a bit). Advantage D.

What do Offense fans think of eliminating this force out rule?

I do not support this rule change at all. It seems to me they barely call the rule properly now. 

To me, if the QB and the receiver make the proper reads and if the receiver makes a play for the ball, and catches it inbounds, then he should not be subject to a hit that will make the call ‘no catch’. 

The judgment calls will always be in sports. It’s part of the game. Good or bad. That ruling definitely helps the D. And besides, who’s to say it will eliminate subjectivity at all, as in: Did the receiver even have a play for the ball before he was hit out of bounds? Was it an early hit? Or necessary? etc.

It's okay for a ruling to help the D.

If the defender gets there early, it's PI.  That hasn't changed.

Of course judgment calls will always be there... but less judgment calls is preferable, IMO.  I just never liked the situation where it's "Well he would have come down in bounds."  How do you know?  That's an assumption that may or may not be correct.

And your argument that "they barely call the rule correctly now" is actually an argument for scrapping the rule altogether.  If it's really that difficult to enforce then it's probably too much of a grey area and should be eliminated.

Edited May 23, 20187 yr by Atomic

59 minutes ago, Mr Dee said:

This is a better rule change...

CFL coaches won’t be allowed to challenge illegal contact calls this season.

The CFL eliminated illegal contact as a challengeable call Wednesday, and the change will be in place when the regular season kicks off next month.

 

saints be praised! 

3 hours ago, wbbfan said:

saints be praised! 

What a nifty little league, the people directly involved in the game can adjust the rules to improve the game and can implement the changes quickly.  Have to like that.

38 minutes ago, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

What a nifty little league, the people directly involved in the game can adjust the rules to improve the game and can implement the changes quickly.  Have to like that.

Sometimes mid-season too. 

 

And, sometimes, refs will change the rules arbitrarily throughout the game. What's PI in the first quarter may not be in the fourth quarter. Keeps everyone on their toes. 

12 hours ago, JCon said:

Sometimes mid-season too. 

 

And, sometimes, refs will change the rules arbitrarily throughout the game. What's PI in the first quarter may not be in the fourth quarter. Keeps everyone on their toes. 

Seems to work for Hockey .. why not Football? 😁

I was skeptical when the NFL got rid of the force out rule, but it has worked very well.  They have other problems with their catch rules, but this is not one of them.  I have thought many times since then that the CFL should make the same change.  Having to decide whether a receiver would have gotten his right pinky inside the line is foolish.  Glad they changed it.