NFL considering widening the playing field 35 feet (CFL style) like it or not?
Options
SleepwalkingInJapan
Members Posts: 11,866 ✭✭✭✭✭
The NFL reportedly might consider widening the playing field to Canadian Football League standards, a drastic idea that would be one of the bigger rules changes the game has seen in a long time – if it comes to pass.
The National Football Post reported that the league has talked about widening the field sideline-to-sideline from 160 feet to 195 feet, which is the CFL standard, and the league might look into the idea again this offseason.
The National Football Post said the competition committee discussed the idea a year ago. In theory, a wider field would be safer for a league that has much bigger and faster players than it did decades ago.
“I’m not so sure we shouldn’t think about widening the field,” former competition committee member Bill Polian told the National Football Post. “It’s a radical idea, but I think it’s worth thinking about. You would have more space and perhaps a safer game. I say that based on my CFL experience. There are less collisions of that type in the Canadian game.”
The idea of a wider field is radical, and although the league needs to improve player safety, it seems like changing the dimensions of the field would take a lot of convincing to a league that doesn't make major modifications very often.
The National Football Post story made the counter-argument that the wider field might not necessarily help player safety, because players would have more room to build up speed and have bigger collisions.
There would be many logistical issues. Many stadiums were built with the 160-foot wide field in mind, with every foot of possible room used for seats that generate revenue. Widening the field by more than 10 yards might make the playing area inside the stands a bit snug. Also, for teams that use the fields for college or high school state playoff games, converting between the two would be a difficult task. Also, there's the fact that it's hard to imagine the NFL changing one of the basic foundations of the game after so many years with the same size field. The last change this drastic might be when the league moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone in 1974.
Changing the width of the field would be a major change to the game, and while it doesn't logically seem very likely to happen soon, the NFL needs to look at every possibility to quell the negative publicity over player safety issues.
The National Football Post reported that the league has talked about widening the field sideline-to-sideline from 160 feet to 195 feet, which is the CFL standard, and the league might look into the idea again this offseason.
The National Football Post said the competition committee discussed the idea a year ago. In theory, a wider field would be safer for a league that has much bigger and faster players than it did decades ago.
“I’m not so sure we shouldn’t think about widening the field,” former competition committee member Bill Polian told the National Football Post. “It’s a radical idea, but I think it’s worth thinking about. You would have more space and perhaps a safer game. I say that based on my CFL experience. There are less collisions of that type in the Canadian game.”
The idea of a wider field is radical, and although the league needs to improve player safety, it seems like changing the dimensions of the field would take a lot of convincing to a league that doesn't make major modifications very often.
The National Football Post story made the counter-argument that the wider field might not necessarily help player safety, because players would have more room to build up speed and have bigger collisions.
There would be many logistical issues. Many stadiums were built with the 160-foot wide field in mind, with every foot of possible room used for seats that generate revenue. Widening the field by more than 10 yards might make the playing area inside the stands a bit snug. Also, for teams that use the fields for college or high school state playoff games, converting between the two would be a difficult task. Also, there's the fact that it's hard to imagine the NFL changing one of the basic foundations of the game after so many years with the same size field. The last change this drastic might be when the league moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone in 1974.
Changing the width of the field would be a major change to the game, and while it doesn't logically seem very likely to happen soon, the NFL needs to look at every possibility to quell the negative publicity over player safety issues.
NFL considering widening the playing field 35 feet (CFL style) like it or not? 56 votes
Comments
-
bad ideaI'm a defensive guy so... No.
Offense already has enough rule changes in their favor.
Here's some things they should do to even the "playing field" for defense (But since they're catering to bandwagon casual fans who just want to see touchdowns - I know they wont)
1. Offensive pass interference should be a loss of down (in the NFL, they make P.I. a "spot foul" as if the receiver caught it, so this would make it at least close to fair.)
2. Let defenders "jump" at down offensive players again to draw false-starts.
3. ? the tuck rule.
4. Speaking of "tuck rule" if a QB tries to throw a forward pass to avoid a sack (but there is player in the area and not a intentional grounding) it should be a FUMBLE unless it passes the L.O.S.
5. ? blocks below the knees.
6. Come up with a TEXTBOOK definition of roughing the passer and illegal hits. None of that "strike-zone" referee's opinion ? . Or at least make them reviewable if the penalty would result in a first down or if it negates a turnover.
etc, etc, etc.
Defense gets no love these days. -
bad ideaI'm all for safety but ? that. Trust me, I know.
-
bad ideathey do this ? and there will be nothing but corner routes ALL DAY lol
-
bad ideaIt would benefit my team.
But naw its a bad idea.
@greenwood
I ? hate the cut block.
And they def need to tweak that PI ? .
-
bad ideaIve seen a CFL game it's too big trust me
-
bad ideaMan I'm gettin sick of roger Goodell
-
bad ideaGet this ? all the ? way out of here.
-
if they do this they gonna have to increase the number of players on the field to 12 for each team instead of 11... hell, maybe even 13 since the field is being widened by like, 15%... increase the number of players by 15%...
this ? is stupid and the defense would be helpless... 60 point games every sunday -
bad idealame.. tryin to manufacture offense im a traditionalist keep it real
-
good ideaI'm all for increasing offense in football.
9 times outta 10, a 42-35 game is better to watch than a 10-7 game.
The majority of the time, a 10-7 game is the result of two ? teams playing as opposed to two great defenses dominating. So if you can manipulate the game in order to make the ? team potentially score more, I think it's a great idea.
It's not like it unfairly affects only certain teams, every offense should be able to benefit. -
bad idea? gonna be two hand touch soon
-
bad ideaI can't stand this powderpuff 2 hand touch "uh uh we need more space out here yall out here hittin too hard" football lovin Roger Goddell. FOH.
-
bad ideaNo ? this ? my ? can only cover so much field
-
bad ideaghostf4cekilla wrote: »No ? this ? my ? can only cover so much field
^^^ Albert Haynesworth post.
-
bad ideaI'm all for increasing offense in football.
9 times outta 10, a 42-35 game is better to watch than a 10-7 game.
The majority of the time, a 10-7 game is the result of two ? teams playing as opposed to two great defenses dominating. So if you can manipulate the game in order to make the ? team potentially score more, I think it's a great idea.
It's not like it unfairly affects only certain teams, every offense should be able to benefit.
No, it wouldn't benefit everybody.
Just teams with great offenses and great play callers. -
bad ideaIf this would happen, everybody will have a running QB.
All that space to run. -
Throwback tackle
-
good ideaKick and Punt returners dream right here
-
bad ideahell to the ? no.
-
bad ideathe pussification of the NFL continues
-
bad ideaMan this would ? up all zone coverages lol
-
-
bad ideathey do this ? and there will be nothing but corner routes ALL DAY lol
no lie
When I read "widen the field" my mind flashed to Michael Crabtree running a corner route and having all kinds of room.
Now I don't give a ? about Crabtree, I think my mind flashed to him cuz he's the last ? I saw trying to get toward the corner. -
bad idea? that.. i let the kick off thing go...
moving it to the 35 yardline.. now making the field small?
might as well have them count 7 Mississippi's before rushing the QB -
bad idea? no...so ? can put up bogus 2000 yard receiving seasons? ? would invalidate all modern offensive accomplishments