New Rules Proposals: 2025

[RedAlice]

Playoff seeding change, tush push ban among 2025 NFL club playing rules, bylaw, resolution proposals​

A potentially transformative set of rule proposals were submitted by a handful of NFL clubs on Wednesday.

Perhaps the most significant is a proposal to revamp playoff seeding. Submitted by Detroit, the proposal would amend the current seeding format to allow wild-card qualifiers to be seeded above division champions if they finished with a better regular season record. The No. 1 overall seed would remain the division winner with the best record.

The proposal also states that "if two or more playoff participants finish with the same won-lost-tied percentage at the end of the regular season, priority shall be given to a team or teams that are division champions."
This change would have affected the most recent playoffs in four separate games on Wild Card Weekend. Instead of hosting the 11-6 Chargers on the opening weekend of the postseason, the 10-7 Texans would have traveled to Los Angeles to battle Jim Harbaugh's squad.

On the NFC side, the adjustments would have been plentiful. Instead of hosting the Vikings (14-3), the Rams (10-7) would have traveled to Philadelphia (14-3) to face the Eagles (which ended up being a Divisional Round matchup), while Tampa Bay (10-7) would have hit the road for Minnesota instead of hosting the Commanders (12-5). Green Bay (11-6) would have traveled to Washington to face Jayden Daniels' squad instead of going to Philadelphia, where the Packers lost to the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles.

The playoff format revamp was just one of eight proposals submitted by clubs on Wednesday.

Green Bay has formalized its effort to ban Philadelphia's highly effective takeon the quarterback sneak (commonly known as the tush push), while Detroit is aiming to eliminate the automatic first down granted to an offense when a defender is penalized for defensive holding or illegal contact.

Each rule will be discussed and potentially voted upon by ownership at the Annual League Meeting, which begins March 30 in Palm Beach, Florida.

More at: https://www.nfl.com/news/playoff-re...club-playing-rules-bylaw-resolution-proposals

 

[WmHBonney]

I still don't get the hate for the tush push. Just because Philly is the best at it, doesn't mean that it should be against the rules. It's like our very own LOB being so dominant in the way they played defense, that the league made it illegal to play that way with stupid rules changes.

 

[sutz]

Not a fan of changing the playoff seeding like that. YMMV

 

[onanygivensunday]

The Playoffs seeding proposal is going nowhere. Winning your division trumps Wild Card team records... and it should.

And eliminating automatic first downs on defensive holding or illegal contact is also going nowhere. There's already too much of that going on. Imagine how much more would happen if automatic first downs were eliminated.

And I'm not a big fan of the Tush Push... but my sense is the timing isn't right to eliminate it quite yet. Give it another couple of years for the injuries to accumulate... and then it'll be gonzo.

 

[kidhawk]

I love how they felt the need to state that the number 1 seed would still be a division winner. No matter how you seed teams the team with the best record will have won their division. There just isn’t any other way

 

[Shane Falco]

I still don't get the hate for the tush push. Just because Philly is the best at it, doesn't mean that it should be against the rules. It's like our very own LOB being so dominant in the way they played defense, that the league made it illegal to play that way with stupid rules changes.

I guess it's the Packers pushing to ban that one.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

The Packers continue to whine even more than Mariners fans. If that's possible.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

I still don't get the hate for the tush push. Just because Philly is the best at it, doesn't mean that it should be against the rules. It's like our very own LOB being so dominant in the way they played defense, that the league made it illegal to play that way with stupid rules changes.

Agreed. I love the play. Wish we were better at it.

 

[JustTheTip]

For the holding/illegal contact I would like to see it be no first down if it occurs further than 5 yards back from the line to gain. Tired of seeing 3rd and 20s converted on hand fighting off the line of scrimmage and they will get another shot at the play 5 yards closer anyways.

 

[RedAlice]

For the holding/illegal contact I would like to see it be no first down if it occurs further than 5 yards back from the line to gain. Tired of seeing 3rd and 20s converted on hand fighting off the line of scrimmage and they will get another shot at the play 5 yards closer anyways.

Yeah, I agree with this.

As to the other stuff - changing the play-off seeding is terrible. It may be a flawed system, but it's our system. I like that being the Division winner matters.

 

[Ostatehawk]

The Packers continue to whine even more than Mariners fans. If that's possible.

It isn't

 

[ivotuk]

I'm against the playoff seed change for competetive reasons. Not too long ago, the NFCW went through a period where 3 of the 4 teams were competitive, and eating each other alive.
Their record outside of the division was very good, and proved just how good the teams in our division were.
So if the division winner had a worse record (say, 7-9....j/k lol!) than the 2nd team in another division, it didn't mean the 2nd team was better. The 2nd team may have had a cupcake schedule.

 

[Aircrew]

Not a fan of changing the playoff seeding like that. YMMV

I'm with you. Why have divisions in the first place if we're going to overrule winning your own division with some other team who plays with a different pack of dudes? If that be the case, then just have east/west conferences like the NBA (throws up in mouth).

 

[JPatera76]

If there isn’t anything about players faking injuries or thier coaches having them “fake an injury” to get a little extra time etc etc then Who gives a f about the proposals. I got tired of seeing that last yr especially with how blatant it was

 

[Seahawkfan80]

If there isn’t anything about players faking injuries or thier coaches having them “fake an injury” to get a little extra time etc etc then Who gives a f about the proposals. I got tired of seeing that last yr especially with how blatant it was

Wait a sec??? You dont like the WWNFL with the flopping like a seal on the field?? LOL

 

[Hawkinaz]

I am neutral on the tush push but one thing that isn’t right about it is it’s legal for an offensive player to help a team mate to advance the ball but it is illegal for a defensive player to help a team mate to make a play such as trying to block a kick

Division winner trump WC teams as far as seeding goes