In 1966, author Bill Mazer wrote in "The Sports Answer Book" that the key year for the NFL was 1933, because forward passing from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage was allowed for the first time that year. In recent years, the NFL has made rule changes that have addressed the public's concerns about scoring, referees, substance abuse and safety.
The Basics
The NFL, which began play in 1920, has always featured two teams that each have an 11-man offense and defense. The teams' offenses alternate trying to score against the defenses. Each offense tries to score touchdowns, which are worth six points, by crossing the defense's goal line. The two goal lines are 100 yards apart. Offenses that fail to score a touchdown often try a field goal, worth three points, by kicking the football over the crossbar of a goal post that is 10 yards behind the goal line and through the posts' two uprights. Offenses give up the ball when they lose a fumble, throw an interception, miss a field goal or can't get a first down, which requires advancing the ball 10 yards in four plays.
Helping Offenses
During the 1970s, the NFL made numerous rule changes that helped offenses and increased scoring, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NFL's "sweeping" changes in 1974 included restricting defenders' contact against receivers, reducing the penalty for offensive holding from 15 to 10 yards, moving the goal posts 10 yards back to encourage teams to try to score touchdowns instead of field goals, and changes that made long kickoff and punt returns more likely. In 1977 and 1978, the NFL further restricted defenders' contact against receivers and gave offensive linemen more latitude while they were pass blocking. In 1994, the NFL toughened its "roughing the passer" rules against defenders and permitted teams to try 2-point offensive plays after touchdowns rather than always kick a 1-point extra point.
Impact of Changes
The changes in the NFL's rules have had a dramatic impact on offenses. Although the NFL began play in 1920, the top 43 receivers in career catches played most or all of their careers after the 1970s rules changes. Charley Taylor's 649 catches were the best ever when he retired in 1977. Jerry Rice had 1,549 when he retired in 2004. Everyone else in the Top 10 played in the 21st century -- Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens, Tony Gonzalez, Isaac Bruce, Randy Moss, Hines Ward and Andre Reed. In addition, 18 of the top 20 quarterbacks in career passing yardage played after 1983.
Other Changes
The NFL's rule changes have helped its credibility. The NFL had a large steroids problem in the 1980s, but has had fewer steroids problems than Major League Baseball since it instituted a strict program in 1989. Similarly, the NFL began using instant replay to help referees in 1986, long before baseball addressed the issue, and sought to improve player safety in 1995 by limiting the use of the helmet as a weapon.
Member Comments