With both end zones unplayable at IG Field in Winnipeg, officials from the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders decided on a solution: Playing Thursday night’s preseason game on an 80-yard field.
The new end zones range from the 10-yard line to the goal line on each side.
The game won’t feature kickoffs. The Packers began the game with the football at the 25-yard line.
A radical adjustment was required after both teams expressed concerns about patches in both end zones where field staff replaced the CFL goalposts. Both were loosely attached and created a hazard for players.
The Packers sat 33 players and won’t play several others as a result. The Raiders were already planning on sitting most of their starters.
Quarterback Tim Boyle slipped down on the turf on the third play from scrimmage.
IG Field is home to Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
