Four new rules passed: (2 Viewers)

[T Bell]

Penalties per team per game were lower in 2008 than in any season since 1974.

Doug, isn't it true that some changes have been made to shorten games? If so, that would likely drive down penalties, wouldn't it? Perhaps penalties per play would be a better metric for comparison.

[..checking..]Same result: lowest since 1974.

Interesting. Is there a way to list the penalties per play by year, or at least direct me to where you're getting this information from?

 

[TitusIII]

"We all understand this on some level - the league is in the business of making money. It's why they exist. No one debates this.

My point is that when you can see the strings on the puppets so clearly, you lose any illusion that these games matter. That it's about competition, that your local team actually represents your local area, that the league cares about integrity of the sort of mythology of 'football' or sport.

I think a lot of the most passionate fans are the ones who lose heart and eventually disappear when it feels like the game is continuously gutted in the name of a few more dollars to add to their already massive incomes."

 

[Doug Drinen]

Interesting. Is there a way to list the penalties per play by year, or at least direct me to where you're getting this information from?

It comes from the p-f-r database:

+------+--------------------+| year | penalties_per_play |+------+--------------------+| 1970 | 0.085			  || 1971 | 0.082			  || 1972 | 0.077			  || 1973 | 0.074			  || 1974 | 0.078			  || 1975 | 0.083			  || 1976 | 0.091			  || 1977 | 0.091			  || 1978 | 0.094			  || 1979 | 0.089			  || 1980 | 0.087			  || 1981 | 0.088			  || 1982 | 0.085			  || 1983 | 0.086			  || 1984 | 0.088			  || 1985 | 0.087			  || 1986 | 0.090			  || 1987 | 0.092			  || 1988 | 0.088			  || 1989 | 0.092			  || 1990 | 0.092			  || 1991 | 0.091			  || 1992 | 0.092			  || 1993 | 0.088			  || 1994 | 0.092			  || 1995 | 0.091			  || 1996 | 0.094			  || 1997 | 0.092			  || 1998 | 0.101			  || 1999 | 0.094			  || 2000 | 0.091			  || 2001 | 0.084			  || 2002 | 0.093			  || 2003 | 0.095			  || 2004 | 0.101			  || 2005 | 0.105			  || 2006 | 0.086			  || 2007 | 0.083			  || 2008 | 0.082			  |+------+--------------------+

 

[zdaddy]

Interesting. Is there a way to list the penalties per play by year, or at least direct me to where you're getting this information from?

It comes from the p-f-r database:

+------+--------------------+| year | penalties_per_play |+------+--------------------+| 1970 | 0.085			  || 1971 | 0.082			  || 1972 | 0.077			  || 1973 | 0.074			  || 1974 | 0.078			  || 1975 | 0.083			  || 1976 | 0.091			  || 1977 | 0.091			  || 1978 | 0.094			  || 1979 | 0.089			  || 1980 | 0.087			  || 1981 | 0.088			  || 1982 | 0.085			  || 1983 | 0.086			  || 1984 | 0.088			  || 1985 | 0.087			  || 1986 | 0.090			  || 1987 | 0.092			  || 1988 | 0.088			  || 1989 | 0.092			  || 1990 | 0.092			  || 1991 | 0.091			  || 1992 | 0.092			  || 1993 | 0.088			  || 1994 | 0.092			  || 1995 | 0.091			  || 1996 | 0.094			  || 1997 | 0.092			  || 1998 | 0.101			  || 1999 | 0.094			  || 2000 | 0.091			  || 2001 | 0.084			  || 2002 | 0.093			  || 2003 | 0.095			  || 2004 | 0.101			  || 2005 | 0.105			  || 2006 | 0.086			  || 2007 | 0.083			  || 2008 | 0.082			  |+------+--------------------+

Gotta love that site.It seems kinda ironic that a lot of fantasy football players are complaining about these rule changes, but when it comes down to it, the most frustrating thing as a fan of a team or as a fantasy owner is watching a key player get hurt.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

That Brady rule is egregious to me. I feel bad we missed out on Brady, and I know Palmer hasn't been the same after something fairly similar, but they qualify as freak injuries. Your role is to get to the QB. Why not make it illegal for an o-lineman to put a defender on the ground in this case? I really don't like the sounds of that one.

And the blindside block rule is also a joke. I think you'll see injuries to more TACKLERS, because so far as I can see it, unless they open you up to tackling the guy you're blocking, the guy laying the hit will be leading with his sternum, if his helmet, forearm and shoulders are no fly zones. Who the F leads with your chest. Protect the guys head, but if you go forearm to shoulderpads and rock a guy, thats life in "the league".

 

[Mike Herman]

More on the Wedge

The elimination of the three- and four-man wedge on kickoff returns was long overdue. That scheme effectively ended my career [Ross Tucker] and that of many others. In the first couple of weeks of the 2007 season alone, the Texans' Cedric Killings, the Packers' Tony Palmer and the Giants' Adrian Awasom all fractured vertebrae in their neck as a result of wedge collisions. And we all remember Kevin Everett. It is that violent, that dangerous of a play. At its best, it's a concussion waiting to happen. Most casual fans don't know much about the wedge because their eyes are following the ball as the returner makes his way up the field. What they don't see is a three- or four-man mass of humanity running in unison for up to 30 yards, with the sole purpose being to not get split or allow any seepage from a member of the opposition's kicking unit. Meanwhile, the linebacker-types on the kickoff team gather up 50 yards of steam before attempting to burst through or bust up the wedge. It's akin to a tank running into a couple of humvees, and it's seldom pretty, so this change is absolutely for the better.

link

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

15 yard penalty for blindside block to the head.

15 yard penalty for initial contact to a defenseless offensive players head.

No more than two men in na 'wedge' on KO returns.

no more than 5 players to a side on onside attempts.

I understand player safety and all, but really?I guess I underestimated the amount of players hurt busting a wedge and recovering an onside kick.

always try to watch the wedge-busters colliding with the wedge. so many guys get crumpled. brutal.

Yeah, I have no problem with that rule. There were at least two times just last season when I saw one of the guys involved in a wedge or breaking on get knocked out cold.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Figured I'd post in this thread as opposed to a new one.

One thought I had with regard to the elimination of the 3 and 4 man wedge is that perhaps this is another reason they didn't switch the over time rules. You have to figure that without the wedge the average starting field position will probably be further back. Perhaps the additional or 10 or so yards might be enough to get things closer to 50-50 in the overtime results. Just a thought.

-QG