NFL To Consider Widening Field

[TheImmortalGoud]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/nfl-considered-widening-playing-field-35-feet-may-190404198--nfl.html

The NFL reportedly might consider widening the playing field to Canadian Football League standards, a drastic idea that would be one of the bigger rules changes the game has seen in a long time – if it comes to pass.

The National Football Post reported that the league has talked about widening the field sideline-to-sideline from 160 feet to 195 feet, which is the CFL standard, and the league might look into the idea again this offseason.

The National Football Post said the competition committee discussed the idea a year ago. In theory, a wider field would be safer for a league that has much bigger and faster players than it did decades ago.

“I’m not so sure we shouldn’t think about widening the field,” former competition committee member Bill Polian told the National Football Post. “It’s a radical idea, but I think it’s worth thinking about. You would have more space and perhaps a safer game. I say that based on my CFL experience. There are less collisions of that type in the Canadian game.”

The idea of a wider field is radical, and although the league needs to improve player safety, it seems like changing the dimensions of the field would take a lot of convincing to a league that doesn't make major modifications very often.

The National Football Post story made the counter-argument that the wider field might not necessarily help player safety, because players would have more room to build up speed and have bigger collisions.

There would be many logistical issues. Many stadiums were built with the 160-foot wide field in mind, with every foot of possible room used for seats that generate revenue. Widening the field by more than 10 yards might make the playing area inside the stands a bit snug. Also, for teams that use the fields for college or high school state playoff games, converting between the two would be a difficult task. Also, there's the fact that it's hard to imagine the NFL changing one of the basic foundations of the game after so many years with the same size field. The last change this drastic might be when the league moved the goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone in 1974.

Changing the width of the field would be a major change to the game, and while it doesn't logically seem very likely to happen soon, the NFL needs to look at every possibility to quell the negative publicity over player safety issues.

 

[Aso]

I don't want the NFL to be anything like the CFL. It's insane they'll go this far for safety.

 

[killgod]

I don't want the NFL to be anything like the CFL. It's insane they'll go this far for safety.

They need to do this. The athletes have changed, the game is faster. The NHL is even exploring their rink sizes as well but it's more challenging for them. You have to compensate for the changes in the people who play the game and surely a wider field is better than the terrible penalties and rule changes they are going with so far. Nobody likes that shit, a wider field doesn't change what football is however.


I don't know why you'd say don't be like the CFL, has you've adopted our rules over the years. Your game is shifting in a wide open spread passing game, which has been the CFL for decades. You took the 2pt rule into play, which you had before then dropped, but we've always had it. You had Kaep/Wilson playing for the Super Bowl, they are the CFL mold of a QB eh? Everyone seems to enjoy the fuck outta these players, but lets be Anti Canada for the sake of being Anti Canada.

The NFL has trended towards the way the CFL has always been played over the past 10-15 years, whether you want to admit it or not.

 

[Ravin]

The next thing you know, they will be adopting the CFL 3 down rule. One less down means less chance of player injury right? :kanye:

 

[Ravin]

They need to do this. The athletes have changed, the game is faster. The NHL is even exploring their rink sizes as well but it's more challenging for them. You have to compensate for the changes in the people who play the game and surely a wider field is better than the terrible penalties and rule changes they are going with so far. Nobody likes that shit, a wider field doesn't change what football is however.


I don't know why you'd say don't be like the CFL, has you've adopted our rules over the years. Your game is shifting in a wide open spread passing game, which has been the CFL for decades. You took the 2pt rule into play, which you had before then dropped, but we've always had it. You had Kaep/Wilson playing for the Super Bowl, they are the CFL mold of a QB eh? Everyone seems to enjoy the fuck outta these players, but lets be Anti Canada for the sake of being Anti Canada.

The NFL has trended towards the way the CFL has always been played over the past 10-15 years, whether you want to admit it or not.

Well said good sir.

 

[NAHSTE]

This won't curb head trauma, but I guess it looks good for appearances sake.

PROACTIVE CHANGES!

 

[Tailback U]

This won't curb head trauma, but I guess it looks good for appearances sake.

PROACTIVE CHANGES!

Why do you think it wouldn't?

I can see why it needs to be researched and at least discussed. I don't know if I'm ok with it. What about high school and college? If anything, it would make the game easier for offense because there is more room to operate, obviously, so I guess it wouldn't matter all that much for HS and college.

 

[NAHSTE]

Why do you think it wouldn't?

Because the width of the field has nothing to do with why football players sustain repeated sub-concussive impacts to their brain, and repeated sub-concussive hits are the primary contributor to CTE. In order to prevent that you'd need to remove the line of scrimmage and all the players on it.

 

[killgod]

Because the width of the field has nothing to do with why football players sustain repeated sub-concussive impacts to their brain, and repeated sub-concussive hits are the primary contributor to CTE. In order to prevent that you'd need to remove the line of scrimmage and all the players on it.

Or go with *gasp* another CFL rule of having a neutral zone 1 yard off the ball. You get less repeated helmet to helmet contact with the extra moments to engage the other side off the snap.


But because it's a CFL rule, it cannot be explored.

 

[NAHSTE]

Or go with *gasp* another CFL rule of having a neutral zone 1 yard off the ball. You get less repeated helmet to helmet contact with the extra moments to engage the other side off the snap.


But because it's a CFL rule, it cannot be explored.

Okay, but CFL players are sustaining lots of brain trauma too. Not to mention all the damage they've already built up in their youth and high school playing days using the good ole fashioned American rules.

Essentially ... playing football = brain trauma.

 

[killgod]

Okay, but CFL players are sustaining lots of brain trauma too. Not to mention all the damage they've already built up in their youth and high school playing days using the good ole fashioned American rules.

Essentially ... playing football = brain trauma.

I don't deny the simple fact that football will cause impacts to your brain, that much is clear (unless you ask Goodell).

Our HS system uses the CFL format and switched over a decade ago to it. Even with the 4 down format, the neutral zone was in effect.


But just because you're essentially guaranteed head trauma by playing the sport, doesn't mean you shouldn't consider ways to reduce it.

 

[Ravin]

Okay, but CFL players are sustaining lots of brain trauma too. Not to mention all the damage they've already built up in their youth and high school playing days using the good ole fashioned American rules.

Essentially ... playing football = brain trauma.

So don't you think changing it now so that the next generation of players doesn't have to have these issues is smart? Instead of "well, they do it now, so no point in changing it for the future".

 

[NAHSTE]

So don't you think changing it now so that the next generation of players doesn't have to have these issues is smart? Instead of "well, they do it now, so no point in changing it for the future".

I am all for trying to make changes, I just don't think this particular change will affect things much. I believe a lot of the NFL's proposed rule changes are well intended but ultimately there is not much that can be done.

 

[ryne candy]

I guess it would help because players have more room to make moves but on the flipside, 2ndary players have more room to gain more speed.

 

[SuperKevin]

That will effectively be the end of RGIII's career because you'll have given him even more of a reason to avoid running out of bounds on a scramble

 

[BigHouseUSA]

This isn't the key issue for injuries obviously, but I wouldn't mind seeing this. Like KG said, athletes have changed, and I've felt for years the field has become too small for the size of the players. Not only football too, it's probably worse in basketball. The court needs to be widened, you've got ten good athletes in a very small space.

 

[killgod]

It's also not as if the NFL could go as wide as the CFL, but perhaps somewhere in the middle. That size of field pretty much requires 12v12 which the NFL certainly would never do, nor do I think anyone would want (save for some shitty DB's who want the extra jerbs created).

 

[Bane]

That will effectively be the end of RGIII's career because you'll have given him even more of a reason to avoid running out of bounds on a scramble

yea because sliding will be impossible with such a wide field..

 

[killgod]

RG3 needs to get out to spring training and run some bases. Learn how to get the fuck down.

 

[Diivox]

Dude, fuck the offseason.

you see it happen all the time, some reporter cites an "anonymous source" which is some buddy of theirs in the league office, or an intern at one of the major sports agencies, or the ball boy at the jets complex, or the strength and conditioning coach, or some scout they've gotten drunk a few times, or whatever, about some random ass idea or thought that there is no substance to, and then uses it as an excuse to drop 10k words on us, and everyone gets all huffy puffy when its really just NFL reporters justifying their paychecks when there is nothing going on in the sport.

Look at the source here. It's yahoo, citing national football post, citing Bill Polian. what is Bill Polian doing right now? he's sitting around unemployed calling his old reporter buddies. There were similar stories run on PFT a few days ago I don't care enough to look up, but this isn't the first time Bill Polian has done some mutual back scratching with the press (again, a bunch of overpaid, entitled, large ego guys with nothing to do right now)

“I’m not so sure we shouldn’t think about widening the field,” former competition committee member Bill Polian said. “It’s a radical idea, but I think it’s worth thinking about. You would have more space and perhaps a safer game. I say that based on my CFL experience. There are less collisions of that type in the Canadian game.”

So basically this whole thing came from Bill Polian being the annoying guy talking about his old job, or if you want to be less of a prick about it, small talk with the writer.

It's followed by quotes from Warren Moon, another guy who doesn't strike me as particularly busy, or well informed on what the league is thinking.

When it's Jeff Fisher standing on a podium talking about it, i'll listen, but even then it's probably just something they'll mention as a kowtow to safety since the press is jumping their balls on the topic. Really, when you do even a little bit of critical thinking here, this story is an e-cigarrette: no fire, not even any smoke, just vapor.