NFL Rule Changes and Info for 2008

[packercorey]

Jeff Maillet of JSOnline has some info for the new season.

A number of rules changes were adopted for the 2008 season:

Defensive helmet radios: Teams will be permitted to have one defensive player on the field with a radio in his helmet. This gives the defense the same ability to communicate its signals as the offense.

Incidental facemasks (above): The foul for incidental grasp and release of the facemask has been eliminated. Twisting, turning or pulling the facemask will remain a 15-yard personal foul.

Forceout rule: The forceout rule has been eliminated. A player who receives or intercepts a ball must land with both feet inbounds. This affords the receiver and defender equal opportunity to complete the play.

Reviewable plays: Instant replay will expand to include field-goal and extra-point attempts as well as illegal forward handoffs. This provides a mechanism for correcting an obvious on-field officiating error.

Second-half coin toss: Clubs will have the option to defer the opportunity to kick or receive the kickoff to the second half.

Muffed snap: It will be a live ball when a direct snap from center to a player who is in position to receive a snap goes untouched. It was previously called a false start, but now either team may recover and advance the untouched snap.
WHAT IS THE THIRD-QUARTERBACK RULE?

This is probably the most misunderstood rule in the NFL.

Seventeen years ago (1991), the rule was instituted to enable teams to have an emergency quarterback available who was not on the 45-man, game-day active roster, since many teams carried only two quarterbacks on their game-day rosters.

Everybody thinks they understand the rule. But do they?

The rule states that if a third quarterback is inserted before the fourth quarter, a team’s first two quarterbacks cannot return to the game at any position. If the third quarterback enters during the fourth quarter, the other two quarterbacks may return to the game.

Another aspect of the rule is sometimes misunderstood. It is a coach’s decision as to whether a third quarterback will be used.

The active quarterbacks do not have to be injured for a team to use its third quarterback.