Ahead of the Game: Examining the Upcoming Modifications to NFL Rules in 2023

| News | 04/05/2023

The NFL is always looking for ways to ensure it can offer the best product for American football fans, and looking at the rules and potentially changing them is one of the many ways the league has gone about doing things.

In the past, they have modified rules in order to promote player safety, while others have been changed to try and make the game even more entertaining, despite the fact it is America’s No. 1 for so many. With the rise of sports betting across the nation, though, the league is keen to keep it in that position.

Fans in states around the country are now able to find sportsbooks that can legally be used, and those in the Golden State have been looking at what options they have to join in. With searches for the best betting sites in California starting to increase and gain traction, the NFL has remained keen to keep the interest at an all-time high.

By having as many eyes on the gridiron and the football being played because there is an additional experience being offered by means of wagering, the sport can continue to grow from a commercial and economic perspective. However, the league wants to ensure they are doing as much as it can to provide the best possible product.

What are the upcoming modifications for the 2023 NFL season?

Unsurprisingly, there are a couple of rule changes that have been proposed by the competition committee recently. All 32 team owners will be required to vote on them, and if any are accepted, it could change the way that American football across the NFL is played.

Among the proposed rule changes:

  • Touchbacks on punts could move five yards further up the field with the receiving team beginning on the 25-yard line and not the 20 as they currently do. It would then match the touchback rule on a kickoff.
  • Part 2 of the touchback proposal involves a fair catch behind the 25-yard line. If a player makes one, the receiving team will automatically be allowed to begin from the 25-yard line, rather than where the catch actually takes place.
  • Tripping could become classified as a personal foul and see a 15-yard penalty be awarded, rather than a 10-yard penalty. An automatic first down will still exist.
  • Launching could become illegal for players under new proposals. It is already a penalty to launch with both feet, but the new modification would see it completely outlawed as players would be banned from doing it with one foot.
  • Forward handling of the ball penalties could experience changes, despite being rarely called throughout the NFL at the moment. It would become illegal to hand the ball to an ineligible receiver beyond the line of scrimmage, while the ball can not be handed forward after a change of possession.
  • A change to an illegal penalty kick could also be in the offing, despite this also being rarely called. Currently, a 10-yard penalty is in place, but a five-yard penalty and a loss of down are being proposed now.

One rule that has recently been approved is the inclusion of the No. 0 jersey, with a number of players having already taken the opportunity to be the first individual within the franchise that they play for to wear it.

It will be very interesting to see if any of the above proposals are accepted and, if they are, the kind of impact that they have on the game and sport that we all love dearly.

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