While the NFL may be king—at least in the North American sports world… That doesn’t mean it is perfect! I mean, let’s be honest… it is still far from perfect. In fact, I’d go as far as to suggest that there are some rules that the NFL should follow in other leagues. Some are a little bit… shall we say outside of the box, but some of them should honestly be a no-brainer!
And what is the good news for fans who like some of these? There is actually some precedent for this. As we have seen, the NFL recently adopted changes to the kickoff formation that the XFL popularized to improve the product on the field.
Join us as we look around the sporting universe and hand-pick ten awesome rules that would make the NFL infinitely better should they ever adopt them!
Which of these rules from other leagues should the NFL consider in the future?
CFL: More Presnap motion
Adopting the CFL’s pre-snap motion rules in the NFL would bring a new level of excitement and complexity to the game, making it more appealing to fans.
For those who don’t know, in the CFL, players are allowed to move toward the line of scrimmage before the snap, leading to dynamic and unpredictable offensive schemes. Think about Mike McDaniel or Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan’s offense… now imagine their star players like Tyreek Hill or Cooper Kupp or Christian McCaffrey were able to take a running start toward the line of scrimmage?!
The end result would be absolutely nuts and make those offenses damn near impossible to stop on a consistent basis.
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From a viewer’s perspective, adding these rules would also create interesting matchups and force defenses to reinvent the way that they approach the game.
Yes, this would be yet another disadvantage thrown defenders way… But at least it would be an exciting win rather than the other changes, all of which have taken entertainment value away from the game.
Fans across the board—not just of the aforementioned coaches and teams—should love this! Anyone who enjoys the tactical aspects of football would appreciate the increased complexity and the chess-like nature of the game and watching the coaches and players try to make rapid adjustments mid-play.
It would also give fans something else to watch for, as the one knock on football is the very stop-and-start nature of the game.
CFL: Bigger Field
Most NFL fans might not know this… However, the NFL field is actually smaller than the CFL field by a considerable margin.
Up north, they add an additional 10 yards of length to the NFL’s 100 and 12.3 yards to the width of 53.3.
The endzones are also bigger, as they stretch 20 yards deep instead of 10.
While you may not think that instituting this change would have a massive downstream impact on the game—there is reason to believe that it would… and it would actually make the game better for players and fans alike.
For starters, players have gotten magnitudes bigger than they were when pro football started way back when. Adding the additional space would help to space out the game better and eliminate some of the injuries caused in crowded parts of the field.
Plus… A larger field provides more space for players to maneuver, showcasing their athleticism and allowing for my impressive plays to take place… long passes, field-stretching runs, and intricate route combos. You name it!
Once again, the defense would draw the short end of the stick here… as the expanded field would challenge them to cover more ground, which would be particularly impactful in the redzone with the larger endzones…
In any case, this rule would likely result in higher-scoring games and more dynamic offensive schemes, but it would also improve the product for the NFL fans.
XFL's: 4th-and-15 conversion to keep the ball instead of an onside kick
While there have been many iterations of the XFL over the years with different rules and ideas, this most recent version has an interesting one and the NFL should take notes.
In the fourth quarter, teams have the option to attempt an additional 4th and 15 conversions rather than the traditional onside recovery.
The NFL should strongly consider adopting this because it would open up new opportunities to highlight offensive talent, improve the game flow, and allow for more exciting comebacks to take place.
We would see a whole new layer of strategy added to the game on offense, as teams would be forced to really look deep into their system and innovate new plays specifically for this scenario.
And, of course, the mere possibility of a successful 4th-and-15 conversion adds an element of hope and excitement for fans, particularly the ones supporting the team trying to mount the comeback.
XFL: Fumbles out of the Endzone
Now… this is one that I’m damn near certain every NFL fan—at least every NFL fan with their wits about them—would be on board to change… Because the way that the NFL’s rulebook addresses fumbles out of the endzone is absolutely reviled by fans.
The primary criticism of the current NFL rule is its harshness. A team can drive the length of the field only to lose possession due to a fumble out of bounds in the endzone, and boom—the ball is awarded to the defense.
It feels wildly unfair and almost arbitrary because if the fumble goes out of bounds just a couple of yards in front of the pylon verses after it—the difference is astronomical.
The XFL’s rule change ensures that offensive efforts are not overly penalized and instead allows them to maintain possession.
The NFL simply has to look at instituting this rule… it is crazy that they haven’t already! Adding this protection for the offensive player trying to make a play at the endzone would create even more exciting action at that end of the field—and there is no doubt that the fans would love it!
XFL: Play Clock
I can’t believe I’m saying this… but it might be time that the NFL take a page out of Major League Baseball’s playbook and look into ways to speed things up!
Obviously, the action that takes place on the gridiron is second to none…
But if fans wanted to pose a gripe—it would be that it can take a while to get into the action.
This is particularly evident to anyone who actually goes to the stadiums on Sunday rather than watching it from the comfort of their own couch—as the gap between plays quickly becomes painfully present.
The XFL has the right idea by instituting a 35-second play clock—rather than the traditional 40-second one that the NFL uses.
This forces teams to operate a little bit quicker and keeps the action moving from one play to the next.
It would also make it harder for teams to park the proverbial bus at the end of games and force them to properly put away the opposition rather than simply running out the clock.
NCAAF: College Overtime
NFL diehards might think it is a little bit hacky… but man, how electric would it be to watch pros partake in the college football overtime when it came time to break a tie?
These rules ensure that teams have an equal chance to score and no doubt increase the excitement in a massive way in the NFL.
For those who aren’t familiar with how ties are broken in the college ranks, each team gets a possession that starts at the 25-yard line—putting them immediately into scoring range—then they have untimed downs to do just that… try to score the football!
The intense, back-and-forth nature of college overtime—similar to the penalty kick shootout in soccer or hockey—often results in memorable and iconic plays.
And for over betters can be an absolute godsend!
College overtime is as exciting as it gets, and it is high time that the NFL adopted it!
NCAAF: Clock stops after a first down
One of the biggest differences between college and professional football games is that in the NCAA when a team is driving in the fourth quarter, the clock stops after a first down.
Not only does this add an element of suspense and excitement, as it opens the door for a few more comebacks to be completed… but it also does well to remove a lot of the human error that occurs with officials manning the clock and spotting the football.
Too often, we see the game end—literally—with the ball in the referees’ hands… Or with the clock expiring before the team can get off one last snap because the ref can’t get clear of the line of scrimmage quickly enough to allow the team to run a play.
This would make the process easier on the officials, improve the action, and electrify fans everywhere as they watched their favorite teams launch—or try to stave off a comeback.
Absolute, win, win, win.
NBA: Players can personalize their footwear
Okay, buckle up because we have entered the cross-sport section of the program…
Let’s start with an obvious one!
The NFL needs to follow the NBA’s lead and allow its players to wear custom footwear on game day.
Obviously, it wouldn’t change the way the game is played on the field, but it would go a long way in revolutionizing the way that the game and the league is perceived.
It isn’t hard to see how the NFL would be a better place if it created more avenues for its players to express themselves and connect with the fans on a more personal level, both of which custom footwear enables.
Besides… the NFL loves to fancy itself as a charitable organization—as do many of the players… So why not create another medium for them to bring visibility to their favorite charities and raise money for good causes across the world?
It has never really made sense to me why the NFL can’t abandon its No Fun League ways… No one is asking the NFL to be the beacon of morality and professionalism. We just want to watch fun football—and too often, the NFL ends up getting in the middle of that—rather than supporting it.
There is a lot to work to do to address that broader problem, but custom footwear is a great place to start.
MLB: Ejected Coach or players are expressly permitted to take a seat in the stands, as long as they change into street clothes
This is not a commonly known one, but in Major League Baseball—there is actually an old rule that allows ejected coaches or players to sit in the stands—with the stipulation that they change into street clothes.
Granted, we are recommending this rule change for pure entertainment value, but still! The NFL needs to consider it as one of its plausible future rules.
How electric would it have been if after Antonio Brown had his meltdown in his final game with the Bucs he had the right to throw on a pair of jeans and a button-down and sit in the bleachers with the fans?
In Brown’s case—keeping the street clothes on him may have been an issue… But golly, would that have been good television, which, frankly, is what the NFL is—or at least should be about!
This is a low stakes, easy solution to create some viral content for a league that is always looking to find ways to engage with younger fans. Imagine the amount of shares a TikTok would get if a young fan captured a player or coaches post-ejection thoughts in the stands?
C’mon Goodell! Think about it.
NHL: Allow Fighting
Okay, this last one may be a little bit controversial… but let’s face it—the NFL is a league of modern gladiators. The actions that are sanctioned by the league are far more violent than a few friendly blows amongst competitors in the heat of battle.
Think about how big of a headache it is for the league office to sort out the aftermath of an on-field brawl… Why not just regulate it like the NHL does?
Let these athletes, who play one of the most physical sports out there, chuck a couple of knucks if things get too heated on the field.
It would enhance divisional rivalries and improve the storylines around the game—plus when the fights actually do happen—they wouldn’t spiral out of control in the same way that they do now.
NFL players are teenagers whose parents give them a 7 o’clock curfew… On the off chance they stay out late—all hell breaks loose.
The NFL should loosen the reigns and let the players settle their in-game beef on the field like men!
