How are NFL Rules Made?
The 2015 NFL playoffs have been filled with close games and exciting finishes.
That said, the influence that judgment calls and controversial officiating has had on the playoffs is bordering on epidemic proportions.
The Cowboys overcame a 13 point second half deficit to beat the Lions in the wildcard round. Those same Cowboys gave the Packers all they could handle in the divisional round and lost 31-26 at Lambeau Field. The Patriots used trickery and deception to come back from a pair of two-touchdown deficits and beat the Ravens 35-31.
All great games. All had viewers looking for clarity regarding specific rules or calls on the field.
In sports, you don’t want to know the name of the referee, line judge, umpire, etc. Generally speaking, the most well-known officials are the ones who are notorious for a certain bad call (or a series of bad calls).
The NBA has an officiating problem, and now the NFL does too. Just like any basketball fan can recognize Bennett Salvatore or Joey Crawford, NFL fans are a little too familiar with Bill Vinovich, Dean Blandino, and Gene Steratore.
In the Cowboys/Packers game, Dez Bryant appeared to make a game-saving 4th down catch late in the 4th quarter, but after reviewing the play, Steratore ruled the pass incomplete because Bryant did not make a common football move and maintain control of the ball through the ground.
Steratore’s decision fell under the “good call, bad rule’’ category. A dejected Bryant pleaded with the NFL after the game to change the rule for next season. Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones has already announced that the NFL Competition Committee (of which he is a board member) will examine the rule this offseason.
So how does the NFL go about writing new rules and changing bad ones? It’s a four step process that, like everything else in the league, starts at the top with Roger Goodell.
Goodell appoints the NFL Competition Committee, a nine-member panel consisting of current NFL coaches and executives. The Competition Committee serves to brainstorm new rules and take feedback from teams on ways to make the game safer and better in all facets.
The first step in the rules process is the Competition Committee discussions about potential new rules and rule changes. The committee meets for several days at the scouting combine in February and reconvenes about a month later to put together proposals for rules, bylaws, and resolutions.
The second step in the process is the committee taking its proposals to the owners for a vote. The committee compiles a report detailing each proposal, and then presents that report to the NFL owners in late March.
The third step is the vote. All 32 owners have 1 vote each. 24 votes (75% of the league) are needed to pass a proposal. That means it only takes 9 owners to block any proposal and reject it.
The final step is, of course, updating the rule book and educating officials on any new or changed rules.
The people currently on the NFL Competition Committee are Falcons president Rich McKay (chairman), Giants owner John Mara, Texans general manager Rick Smith, Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
For a look at five rules we think the NFL should change, click here.
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