LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The NFL adopted three new playing rules that will be in effect for the 2024 season. Here are the three approved by the league at the Annual League Meeting on Monday.
- 1. By Detroit; amends Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1, to protect a club's ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge.
- 5. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 14, Section 5, Article 2, to allow for an enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession in a situation where there are fouls by both teams.
- 8. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 12, Section 2, to eliminate a potentially dangerous tackling technique.
Hip-drop tackle
It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
- Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg at or below the knee.
The penalty will be considered unnecessary roughness, which will be 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Getting a third challenge
A team will be permitted a third challenge if it is successful on at least one or both of its challenges. If a team wins both challenges, a fourth challenge will not be permitted.
The maximum amount of challenges a team can have is three in a game.
Double foul (with change of possession)
If the team last in possession does not have "clean hands" when it establishes possession, the penalties offset, and the down is replayed at the previous spot. "Clean hands" meaning no infringements.
If both teams foul after the last change of possession (double foul after change of possession), or the offense commits an unnecessary roughness or an unsportsmanlike conduct foul before the change of possession, the penalties are offset, and the team last in possession shall retain the ball at the spot where its foul would be enforced if it was the only foul.
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Here are the rules that weren't approved by the NFL -- or put to table for a later vote or at the next league meeting in May.
- 2. By Philadelphia; amends Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2, to eliminate the first touch spot after the receiving team possesses the ball (not approved)
- 3. By Philadelphia; amends Rule 6, Section 1, Article 1, to permit a team to maintain possession of the ball after a score by substituting one offensive play (4th and 20 from the kicking team's 20-yard line) for an onside kickoff attempt (not approved).
- 4. By Indianapolis; amends Rule 15, Section 3, to permit a coach or replay official (inside of two minutes) to challenge any foul that has been called (Colts withdrew proposal).
- 6. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, Section 3, Article 3, to include a ruling of a passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass as a reviewable play (not approved).
- 7. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9, to allow a replay review when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap (not approved).
- 9. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 12, Section 2, Article 6, to expand the crackback prohibition to players who go in motion and move beyond the center to block a defender at or below the knee (not approved).
- 10. By Competition Committee; for one year only, amends Rule 6, to create a new form of a free kick play that is designed to: (1) resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed; and (2) promote more returns. Permits the Replay Official automatically review whether a free kick legally touched the ground or a receiving team player in the landing zone (put to table for later vote).
