The NFL Competition Committee is expected to propose another rule with the intent of protecting quarterbacks.
The intentional grounding penalty is expected to be altered. The alteration to the grounding rule would entail eliminating the distinction of the pocket. As it stands, a quarterback has to escape the pocket to throw the ball away as long as it crosses the line of scrimmage. This new rule would mean the quarterback could throw the ball away from the pocket as long as it crosses the line of scrimmage.
The rule will be proposed to protect quarterbacks in the NFL
The main purpose of the proposition is to protect quarterbacks in the NFL. 66 different quarterbacks started an NFL game this season and the NFL as a whole suffers when star quarterbacks go down. They don’t only suffer from a marketing standpoint when notable players sit out, but quarterback injuries also result in less scoring.NFL scoring was down this year at 43.5 points per game. The NFL wants more offensive action as they believe it will result in a more entertaining product.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent explained why the rule proposal would help with quarterback injuries in an article from Pro Football Talk.
“We think about protecting the quarterback,” Vincent said. “There’s an opportunity here to look at that injury data. Most of the QB injuries occurred in the pocket. It may be time to evolve this particular call to protect the QB both in and outside the pocket as well as assisting the referee in that administration, because his eyes are actually on the QB. Did it make it make it make it back to the line of scrimmage?”
Many fans think the NFL has already gone too far when it comes to protecting quarterbacks
The NFL has taken a lot of steps to protect quarterbacks in recent years. One controversial rule change that came in recent years is the “body weight rule.” This rule prevents defenders from falling on quarterbacks with their full body weight when making a sack. This has resulted in many inconsistent calls along with a lot of fans calling the new version of the game “soft.”
Chris Jones with a trifecta, forced fumble, sack, recovery taken away via “full body weight” roughing the passer penalty. pic.twitter.com/fQdxOkhMFS
— 420Bonerz69 (@someonesonline) October 11, 2022
This league sucks
— Jay bird (@Jaybird96992748) October 11, 2022
Total garbage call. This is ridiculous. WAKE UP NFL!!!
— Chris GenXer (@cacmilan) October 11, 2022
These guys did a GREAT job of not putting their body weight on the QB with the sack … ………… ………………
— AlienQB(nSteich).Grant… (@ColtsWithGrant) October 5, 2018
Yep. I questioned that non-call myself.
— Oldecoltsfan @WyattLaw (@oldecoltsfan) October 5, 2018
Another new rule to protect quarterbacks is the rule that prevents them from tackling low. This was proposed to eliminate lower-body injuries that occurred when the full weight of a defender would bend a quarterback’s leg the wrong way. Now, defenders can’t go high or low on a quarterback.
Updated list of things you can’t do to a QB or you’ll get called for roughing the passer:
Defend, attempt to defend, tackle, hit high, hit low, hit middle, grab, bump, tap, wave at, talk to, breathe on, look at, call, send a text to, or tweet atpic.twitter.com/jM8U2pysYi
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) October 7, 2018
The NFL has had no issue moving along with the plethora of other rules that protect the quarterback and there is no reason to believe this intentional grounding rule change proposal will be any different. 24 ownership votes are required to allow the rule change to happen.
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