Dolphins hear about new NFL rules

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/625530.html

Dolphins hear about new NFL rules

BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD
Miami Herald

Referee Tony Corrente, who is entering his 14th NFL season, said this is the first year in a while that he can recall the league's rule changes favoring the defense.

Corrente led a presentation Thursday with other NFL game officials at Dolphins camp, announcing several rule changes for the 2008 season.

Among them:

• Two defensive players from each team will be allowed to wear helmets with speakers in them to receive play calls from coaches.

Only one defensive player with a speaker in his helmet can be on the field at a time, and he must check in with game officials.

If both designated players with helmet speakers are on the field together, it will result in a 5-yard penalty.

Offensively, a team's quarterback has been allowed to wear a helmet with a speaker since 1994, so this new rule gives some equality to the defense.

• Officials will consider it an incomplete pass when a player is pushed or shoved out of bounds while catching the ball.

This ends the ''force-out'' rule, which had considered it a complete pass if a player caught the ball even if he ended up being pushed out of bounds before touching both feet inbounds. The rule also will affect defensive players on interceptions.

• There no longer will be a 5-yard penalty for grasping a player's face mask.

However, officials will still enforce a 15-yard personal-foul penalty if a player pulls, twists or turns an opponent's face mask.

• The team that wins the coin toss before the game can defer its choice until the second half.

Coach Tony Sparano's take on the rule changes?

''I do think most of the rules going into effect were more advantage defense,'' Sparano said. ``Specifically, the force-out rule, as I look at it -- to be honest, none of the rule changes were really staggering.''

Sparano said the team will work on implementing the defensive helmets with speakers during training camp and exhibition games. He said the team will decide in the coming weeks which two defensive players will receive the signals through the speakers to relay to the rest of the defense.

The speakers will be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock, so hand signals will not become obsolete.

''I don't know about conflicts, but I think early it will be interesting to see how the whole process goes,'' Sparano said. ``I'm sure every team is going through the same process right now, just the logistics of how this going to happen. You have to think it through.

``You treat it as a luxury.''

Linebacker Channing Crowder and cornerback Will Allen are pleased about the helmets with speakers.

''Now it's an even game,'' Crowder said.

Said Allen: ``It's about time they put something in that will help us.''

Linebacker Joey Porter said having the helmets perhaps would ''take the gray area out'' and curb an opposing team's ability to steal defensive calls.

Several NFL game officials will remain in South Florida for the new few days and will officiate Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage.

ODDS AND ENDS

• Sparano said the Dolphins probably will not decide until next week how much running back Ronnie Brown will play in the preseason, including whether he will be available for the team's exhibition opener against Tampa Bay on Aug. 9.

• For a second consecutive day, tight ends Aaron Halterman (back) and Justin Peelle and tackle Daren Heerspink (knee) did not practice because of injuries. Their status is day-to-day.

• Dolphins managing general partner Wayne Huizenga watched the team practice Thursday.

[Brian Fein]

I gotta say I'm kinda surprised at these rule changes.  I like the helmet speaker for defensive players, but the force-out rule was important.  This new rule will all-but-eliminate spectacular sideline catches, and any passes thrown toward the sidelines at all, because all you have to do is shove a guy while he's catching the ball and its incomplete. 

I wonder if they are including a better definition of pass interference.

[Philly Fin Fan]

This new rule will all-but-eliminate spectacular sideline catches,

I think it will increase the spectacular sideline catches, because receivers will now try harder to get their feet down, knowing they won't get a force out call. As long as they touch both feet inbounds the rule doesn't affect them. (the article even references that).

[Brian Fein]

you're right, but last year, corners basically couldn't touch a guy going up on the sideline because they'd get the force-out call.  Now, they can shove freely knowing that the harder the shove, the less chance of catching the ball and no repercussions.  A guy goes up for the ball 2 or 3 yards from the sideline and can get shoved out of bounds making an otherwise "normal" catch incomplete.

I think you'll see less passes going towards the sideline now because of it and more plays in the flat and up the middle.  It pretty much eliminates the "out" pattern from the playbook.

[Doc-phin]

I definately think the force out rule change is the biggest mistake the rules committee has made in a while.

Many games will be won/lost on a push out that would have obviously been a completion.  I can't believe how short sighted this talk about statistics has been.  The reason the statistics are the way they are is because the defense is playing the catch a certain way due to the rules.  The statistics will completely change when defenders realize they just need to get one foot out of bounds for the play to be incomplete.

Good luck on third down conversions.  Be expecting alot more punting and commercial breaks.

[fyo]

I definately think the force out rule change is the biggest mistake the rules committee has made in a while.

It's not like they don't know EXACTLY what effect the change it will have, considering that the new rule is identical to the college rule.

[Doc-phin]

It's not like they don't know EXACTLY what effect the change it will have, considering that the new rule is identical to the college rule.

College is one foot in.  Did this change too?  And yes, it makes a big difference whether it is one foot or two.

[fyo]

College is one foot in.  Did this change too?  And yes, it makes a big difference whether it is one foot or two.

But the force-out part is the exact same, no? (The 1 vs 2 feet difference has always been there, but now the force-out rules are identical)

[Banshee]

Regarding the new force-out rule ...

Scenario:  A receiver catches the ball 3-10 yards inbounds -- but the defender hauls him like a sack of potatoes and dumps him on the sideline.  The receiver never gets his feet down.  Still no catch???  How far inbounds does a receiver have to be before he's granted a catch in this type of situation?