Chiefs OT proposal tabled plus more rule changes from NFL owners meetings

The competition committee has convened at the NFL owners meetings. They’ve deliberated and determined the best course of action on rules proposals for the 2019 NFL season. If you’ll recall the Chiefs actually submit two different rules proposals for the upcoming season.

One proposal focused on instant replay that would add personal fouls to the replay review and coaches challenge system. This proposal hasn’t been passed yet, but coaches are now gathering significant support to review all non-calls. Andy Reid is among the coaches leading the charge, along with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. They both called for a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss replay and rules changes that had been approved by the competition committee.

The other proposal that the Chiefs had was focused on overtime rules. They sought to remove preseason overtime, the overtime coin toss, and for each team to get possession of the ball in OT by default. That proposal has been tabled for further discussion in May according to multiple reports.

Proposal for both teams to get possession in OT was tabled until May.

Proposal to give one fourth-and-15 play in place of an onside kick in the fourth quarter was voted down.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 26, 2019

While some think that this means that proposal doesn’t have a chance of passing, the KC Star’s Brooke Pryor got some follow-up with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt about the proposal. Here’s his response:

Re: Chiefs OT rule proposal, Clark Hunt said he was pessimistic that the proposal would get any support, but said it actually picked up steam in the meetings.

Team plans to come back with a revised version in May where the rule change is only for postseason.

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 26, 2019

So the Chiefs will submit a more concise proposal in May that will have a better chance of passing. If they follow the feedback they got at this meeting, it actually has a good chance of passing.

Here is a look at all of the rules changes that the competition committee has approved per NFL communications:

1. By Competition Committee; Makes permanent the kickoff rule changes that were implemented during the 2018 season.

2. By Competition Committee; Expands protection to a defenseless player.

3. By Competition Committee; Changes the enforcement of double fouls when there is a change of possession.

4. By Competition Committee; Simplifies the application of scrimmage kick rules for missed field goals.

5. By Competition Committee; Allows teams to elect to enforce on the succeeding try or on the succeeding free kick an opponent’s personal or unsportsmanlike conduct foul committed during a touchdown.

Here is a look at the NFL’s elimination of blindside blocks in regards to  defenseless player protections per NFL Football Operations:

To expand protection of the player being blocked, @NFL owners voted to eliminate blindside blocks. One-third of all concussions on punts were caused by blindside blocks. With the rule change, any forcible contact by the blocker with his head, shoulder or forearm is prohibited. pic.twitter.com/abA2cENnXe

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) March 26, 2019

While some proposal’s were tabled or defeated these won’t likely be all the rules changes to come in the 2019 season. The spring league meeting takes place from May 20th through the 22nd and there will likely be more decisions in regards to rules changes then.