The below playing rules, bylaws and resolutions were adopted by NFL clubs today at the NFL meetings in Phoenix, Arizona.
Approved 2019 Playing Rules Summary
1. By Competition Committee; Makes permanent the kickoff rule changes that were implemented during the 2018 season.
2. By Competition Committee; Expands protection to a defenseless player.
3. By Competition Committee; Changes the enforcement of double fouls when there is a change of possession.
4. By Competition Committee; Simplifies the application of scrimmage kick rules for missed field goals.
5. By Competition Committee; Allows teams to elect to enforce on the succeeding try or on the succeeding free kick an opponent’s personal or unsportsmanlike conduct foul committed during a touchdown.
6c. Attached - For one year only, expands the reviewable plays in Instant Replay to include pass interference, called or not called on the field. Also expands automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any Try attempt (extra point or two-point conversion).
16. By Competition Committee; to amend Rule 15, Section 1, Article 5 to allow League personnel to disqualify for both flagrant football and non-football acts.
Approved 2019 Bylaws Summary
1. By Buffalo; to amend Article XVII, Section 17.4 to liberalize the rule for reacquisition of a player assigned via waivers.
2. By Competition Committee; to amend Article XVII, Section 17.1 to provide clubs with more roster flexibility during training camp.
3. By Competition Committee; to amend Article XVIII, Section 18.1 to provide teams more effective access to players during the postseason.
4. By Competition Committee; to amend Article XIV, Section 14.3(B)(8) to make the tie-breaking procedures fairer for the selection meeting.
5. By Competition Committee; to amend Article XVII, Section 17.1 to provide additional roster spots during the preseason.
6. By Competition Committee; to amend Article XVII, Section 12.3 to offer more roster flexibility.
Approved 2019 Resolutions Summary
G-1. By Competition Committee; to amend the Anti-Tampering Policy to permit an interested club to contact a Vested Veteran before clubs have been notified of the player’s termination via the Player Personnel Notice if (i) the players is not subject to the Waivers System and, (ii) the employer club has publicly announced the player’s release.
G-2a. By Competition Committee; for one year only, Clubs will receive the League’s post-game responses to officiating inquiries submitted by any club.
2019 PLAYING RULE PROPOSAL NO. 6C
For one year only, amend Rule 15, Section 2, Articles 2, 4, and 5 (Instant Replay, pgs. 62-63) (new language underlined, deleted language struck through):
SECTION 2 INSTANT REPLAY
The League will employ a system of Instant Replay Review to aid officiating as defined below. The following procedures will be used:
ARTICLE 1. COACHES’ CHALLENGE. In each game, a team will be permitted two challenges that will initiate Instant Replay reviews. The Head Coach will initiate a challenge by throwing a red flag onto the field of play before the next legal snap or kick. Each challenge will require the use of a team timeout. If a challenge is upheld, the timeout will be restored. A challenge will only be restored if a team is successful on both of its challenges, in which case it shall be awarded a third challenge, but a fourth challenge will not be permitted under any circumstances.
A team may challenge any reviewable play identified in Article 5 below, except when the on-field ruling is:
(a) a score for either team;
(b) an interception;
(c) a fumble or backward pass that is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone; or
(d) a muffed scrimmage kick recovered by the kicking team.
A team may not challenge a reviewable play:
(a) after the two-minute warning of each half;
(b) throughout any overtime period;
(c) after committing a foul that delays the next snap; and
(d) after exhausting all of its challenges or timeouts.
If a team initiates a challenge when it is not permitted to do so, it will be charged a timeout.
Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team has exhausted its timeouts: Loss of 15 yards.
ARTICLE 2. REQUEST FOR REVIEW. A Replay Review will be initiated by a member of the Officiating department from a location in the League office or a Replay Official from a Replay Booth comparable to the location of the coaches’ booth or Press Box when the on-field ruling is:
(a) a score for either team;
(b) an interception;
(c) a fumble or backward pass that is recovered by an opponent or goes out of bounds through an opponent’s end zone;
(d) a muffed scrimmage kick recovered by the kicking team;
(e) after the two-minute warning of each half;
(f) throughout any overtime period; and
(g) any disqualification of a player.; and
(h) any Try attempt (successful or unsuccessful).
There is no limit to the number of Replay Reviews that may be initiated by personnel designated in this Article. The ability of the designated personnel to initiate a review will be unrelated to the number of timeouts that either team has remaining, and no timeout will be charged for any review initiated pursuant to this Article. The designated personnel must initiate a review before the ball is next legally put in play. Such reviews will be initiated regardless of whether a foul is committed on the play that, if accepted, would negate the on-field rulings listed in (a)-(d) above.
ARTICLE 3. REPLAY REVIEWS. All Replay Reviews will be conducted by a designated member of the Officiating department at the League office. During the review of on-field rulings other than player disqualifications, the designee shall consult with the Referee, who will have access to a hand-held, field-level device. A decision will be reversed only when there is clear and obvious visual evidence available that warrants the change.
Prior to consulting with the Officiating department designee, the Referee will discuss the play with the covering official(s) to gather any information that may be pertinent to the review.
Each review will be a maximum of 60 seconds in length, timed from when the hand-held, field-level device is provided to the Referee.
Unless the Replay Review is for a player disqualification, all reviewable aspects of the play may be examined and are subject to reversal, even if not identified in a coach’s challenge or if not the specific reason for a review initiated by a member of the Officiating department or the Replay Official.
ARTICLE 4. NON-REVIEWABLE PLAYS. The following play situations are not reviewable:
(a) Fouls, except for Article 5(g) and (j) below.
(b) Spot of the ball and runner:
(1) Runner ruled down by defensive contact or out of bounds (not involving fumbles or the line to gain).
(2) The position of the ball not relating to first down or goal line.
(3) Whether a runner’s forward progress was stopped before he went out of bounds or lost possession of the ball.
(4) Whether a runner gave himself up.
(c) Miscellaneous:
(1) Field Goal or Try attempts that cross above either upright without touching anything. (2) Erroneous whistle.
(3) Spot where an airborne ball crossed the sideline.
(4) Whether a player was blocked into a loose ball.
(5) Advance by a player after a valid or invalid fair catch signal.
(6) Whether a player created the impetus that put the ball into an end zone.
ARTICLE 5. REVIEWABLE PLAYS. The Replay System will cover the following play situations:
(a) Plays involving possession.
(b) Plays involving touching of either the ball or the ground.
(c) Plays governed by the goal line.
(d) Plays governed by the boundary lines.
(e) Plays governed by the line of scrimmage.
(f) Plays governed by the line to gain.
(g) Number of players on the field at the snap, even when a foul is not called.
(h) Game administration:
(1) Penalty enforcement.
(2) Proper down.
(3) Spot of a foul.
(4) Status of the game clock.
(i) Disqualification of a player.
(j) Pass interference, called or not called (offensive or defensive) (See Rule 8, Section 5, Articles 1-4).
In situations in which time is deemed to have expired during or after the last play of the first or second half, or of an overtime period in the preseason or regular season, or of an overtime half in the postseason, a timing error is defined as having occurred only when the visual evidence demonstrates that more than one second should be put on the clock.
In the first half, time shall be restored only if the additional play will be a snap from scrimmage. In the second half, time shall be restored only if it is a one-score game (eight points or fewer), and the additional play will be a snap from scrimmage by the team that is behind in the score, or by either team if the score is tied. A correction of a timing error for a team timeout may be made only if there is visual evidence of an official’s signal.
If an on-field ruling of a dead ball (down by contact, out of bounds, or incomplete forward pass) is changed, the ball belongs to the recovering player at the spot of the recovery, and any advance is nullified. The recovery must occur in the continuing action following the loss of possession. If the ball goes out of bounds in an end zone, the result of the play will be either a touchback or a safety. If the Referee does not have clear and obvious visual evidence as to which player recovered the loose ball, or that the ball went out of bounds, the ruling on the field will stand.
These reviewable play situations are explained in further detail in the Instant Replay Casebook.
Submitted by Competition Committee
Effect: For one year only, expands the reviewable plays in Instant Replay to include pass interference, called or not called on the field. Also expands automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any Try attempt (extra point or two-point conversion).
Reason: Integrity of the game.
| NFL ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF HEADHEALTHTECH CHALLENGE VI |
Two start-ups granted nearly a quarter million dollars to develop helmet protection technology
Phoenix, AZ – March 26, 2019 – The National Football League (NFL) and Football Research, Inc. (FRI) today announced the winners of HeadHealthTECH Challenge VI. Windpact and Auxadyne will receive funding to advance their innovative technologies for use in football helmets. To-date, the TECH Challenges have awarded grants to help advance the development of 13 new technologies.
Windpact, a Northern Virginia-based company, was awarded $148,820 to tailor their Crash Cloud® padding technology for use in Schutt's AirXP Pro Q10 helmet. Windpact will partner on this project with Elemance to create virtual prototypes. Windpact was previously awarded funding as part of HeadHealthTECH Challenge II to develop the Crash Cloud®, a liner system intended to protect the head from impacts at a variety of speeds and angles. Although no helmet can entirely eliminate the risk of concussion, the padding system, which can be used in existing helmets to replace traditional foam pads, aims to address the wide range of impacts NFL players experience at different positions by absorbing and dispersing energy.
Florida-based company Auxadyne was awarded $86,688 to advance its XPF material, the world's only commercially available auxetic foam, an energy absorbing material that becomes more dense upon impact. The company will use their unique material to create a football helmet padding system that can reduce the impact to an athlete's head.
"We are grateful to be a recipient of the HeadHealthTECH VI award and are excited to utilize the funding from the NFL to improve a helmet in collaboration with an industry leader in Schutt," said SHAWN SPRINGS, CEO of Windpact. "In addition, we look forward to the opportunity to employ the NFL's resources to lay the groundwork for continual experimentation and evaluation of helmets and protective gear in football."
"The talented team at Auxadyne is humbled and excited for the opportunity to explore the use of XPF in football helmets," said JOE CONDON, President and Founder of Auxadyne. "We are confident that this generous award from HHTC VI will enable us to accomplish our company's mission of providing superior prevention, protection and performance to football athletes at all levels."
HeadHealthTECH Challenge VI is the latest in the TECH Challenge series, which is operated on behalf of FRI by Duke University's Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Duke CTSI). The TECH Challenge series is designed to stimulate research and innovation in protective equipment including helmets and related technologies, turf systems, shoulder and other pads, and additional innovative concepts.
"The TECH Challenge series continues to cultivate promising technologies and accordingly, we are excited to partner with Windpact and Auxadyne as they look to improve safety and bring their products to the football helmet market," said BARRY MYERS, MD, PhD, MBA, Director of Innovation at Duke CTSI, Coulter Program Director and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, as well as a consultant to the NFL Players Association.
"We are excited to welcome Auxadyne into the fold and continue our support of Windpact," said JEFF MILLER, the NFL's Executive Vice President of Health and Safety Initiatives. "Both are great examples of the next wave of innovators working to commercialize their equipment designs. These companies hold significant promise to advance safety for the protection of athletes."
About the Engineering Roadmap and HeadHealthTECH Challenges
The HeadHealthTECH Challenge series is one component of the Play Smart. Play Safe. Engineering Roadmap, a $60-million comprehensive effort – funded by the NFL and managed by FRI – to improve the understanding of the biomechanics of head injuries in professional football and to create incentives for helmet manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, universities and others to develop and commercialize new and improved protective equipment, including helmets.
FRI awards the most promising TECH Challenge proposals with a cumulative value of up to $1 million a year, including in-kind support. A panel of expert judges selected by Duke CTSI, in collaboration with FRI, reviews and provides feedback to all proposals. Every TECH Challenge applicant is invited to reapply and receives constructive feedback from Duke CTSI biomechanical experts to help refine innovations and increase chances for success on future submissions.
As part of the Engineering Roadmap, FRI continues to share research, data, tools and information with engineers and entrepreneurs, including those participating in the TECH Challenge series, to help improve their equipment designs. Resources include: a toolkit of finite element models of modern football helmets, impact test dummy components, test conditions simulating on-field impacts and a comprehensive video review of player impacts to better understand concussion-causing events.
The TECH Challenges have awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to date to help advance the development of 13 new technologies.
Winners of TECH Challenge II, announced in October 2018, are 2ND Skull, to research the effectiveness of its 2nd Skull® skull cap in reducing impact forces and developing a second-generation version; Baytech Products, for its prototype HitGard® multi-component helmet system concept; and Windpact, for its Crash Cloud™, an impact liner system using restricted air flow and foam in helmets and protective gear.
About the NFL's Health and Safety Initiatives
The NFL is committed to advancing progress in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of sports-related injuries. As part of the NFL's ongoing health and safety efforts, in September 2016, Commissioner Goodell launched Play Smart. Play Safe. — a league-wide health and safety initiative. At the heart of the initiative is a pledge of $100 million in support for independent medical research and engineering advancements and a commitment to look at anything and everything to protect our players and make our game safer, including enhancements to medical protocols and improvements to how our game is taught and played. For more information about the NFL's health and safety efforts, please visit www.PlaySmartPlaySafe.com.
| Approved 2019 Playing Rules from NFL Annual Meeting - Morning Session |
The below playing rules were adopted by NFL clubs so far today at the NFL meetings in Phoenix, Arizona.
Approved 2019 Playing Rules Summary
1. By Competition Committee; Makes permanent the kickoff rule changes that were implemented during the 2018 season.
2. By Competition Committee; Expands protection to a defenseless player.
3. By Competition Committee; Changes the enforcement of double fouls when there is a change of possession.
4. By Competition Committee; Simplifies the application of scrimmage kick rules for missed field goals.
5. By Competition Committee; Allows teams to elect to enforce on the succeeding try or on the succeeding free kick an opponent’s personal or unsportsmanlike conduct foul committed during a touchdown.
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| NFL FILMS ANNOUNCES “A LIFETIME OF SUNDAYS” CELEBRATING LEGENDARY WOMEN OF THE NFL |
ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER REGINA KING NARRATES
PHOENIX, AZ (March 25, 2019): In celebration of its centennial season, the National Football League (NFL) today premiered A Lifetime of Sundays at its 2019 Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. The documentary, part of the NFL's initiative to celebrate the league's 100th season – and to champion the women who have played an integral role in its history – offers an unprecedented look at the history of the NFL through the eyes of four iconic female owners: Virginia McCaskey, Martha Firestone Ford, Norma Hunt and Patricia Rooney.
It is narrated by Academy Award® winner Regina King and co-executive produced by Julie Haddon, Jane Skinner Goodell, and 11-time Emmy® Award-winner Bill McCullough. NFL Films is securing a distribution partner for the documentary.
A Lifetime of Sundays profiles four famously private women: Chicago Bears' McCaskey, Detroit Lions' Ford, Pittsburgh Steelers' Rooney, and Kansas City Chiefs' Hunt. They are the matriarchs of four American football families who, for the first time, share the history of the game from a very different perspective. What ties them together is not just their colorful memories, but their incredible passion and love of the game. The film takes viewers inside the personal and professional lives of these women, who have had front row seats as professional football has grown from very humble roots into a celebrated American institution and the country's most popular sport.
"The experience of making A Lifetime of Sundays was as inspiring as the women themselves," said Julie Haddon, Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing. "We had unprecedented access and hours of firsthand interviews, coupled with anecdotes from players, coaches, family and fans. Our film proudly shines a light on the significant roles these women have played over a lifetime of football as they led teams in an era where women in leadership was not common. We're excited to share this with audiences and honored to have Regina as our narrator."
"I was thrilled to contribute to this amazing celebration of women in the NFL," said Regina King. "I have loved this sport since I was a little girl and I hope this inspires women to seek out leadership positions in the NFL, in sports and in life."
| NFL TO CELEBRATE ITS ‘ORIGINAL TOWNS’ AS PART OF NFL100 |
Members of communities with inaugural season teams to announce picks
for the 2019 NFL Draft from live hometown events
NFL to honor legacy of first-ever NFL game by donating turf to Dayton, Ohio
PHOENIX, AZ: Nearly 100 years after the National Football League was born in Canton, Ohio, the NFL is celebrating the 13 communities that were home to the 14 teams of its inaugural season.
Eight "Original Towns" outside of the 32 current NFL markets will host live telecasts in their hometowns to announce picks on Day 3 of the Draft: Akron, Ohio; Canton, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Hammond, Indiana; Muncie, Indiana; Rochester, New York; and Rock Island, Illinois.
The hometown celebrations in these markets will showcase the town's history alongside fans, NFL legends, celebrities, and elected officials. For the fifth consecutive year, picks will be made live by all 32 Clubs in their local markets at special locations of their choosing on Day 3. Clubs will make their picks across the country and around the world from a variety of locations, some of which include military bases, state landmarks, and major attractions.
"There's no better way to bring the League's hundred years of history full circle than to partner with these communities and recognize their important place in history as part of the NFL's centennial celebration," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
To honor the lasting legacy of football and pave the way for future generations of football players, the NFL Foundation, in partnership with FieldTurf & Vasco – who will lead construction and installation – will fund the installment of a new artificial turf field in the city of Dayton, Ohio.
The field will commemorate the first-ever NFL game played at Triangle Park on October 3, 1920, between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles. Additionally, the Foundation will make a donation to each of the 13 "Original Towns" to support local youth football programs, advocate for player safety, and promote football's values.
"This is a really special moment for our city," said Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, Ohio. "We're excited that the NFL is recognizing the places that were there in the very beginning and that they are celebrating Dayton's special history in paving the way for the league with a donation that will leave a lasting impact in the community."
In celebration of NFL100, the League is proud to honor the following 13 "Original Towns":
- Akron, Ohio (Akron Pros)
- Buffalo, New York (Buffalo All-Americans)
- Canton, Ohio (Canton Bulldogs)
- Chicago, Illinois (Racine Cardinals, Chicago Tigers)
- Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Tigers)
- Columbus, Ohio (Columbus Panhandles)
- Dayton, Ohio (Dayton Triangles)
- Decatur, Illinois (Decatur Stanleys)
- Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Heralds)
- Hammond, Indiana (Hammond Pros)
- Muncie, Indiana (Muncie Flyers)
- Rochester, New York (Rochester Jeffersons)
- Rock Island, Illinois (Rock Island Independents
| GREEN BAY PACKERS-CHICAGO BEARS TO KICK OFF CELEBRATION OF NFL'S 100TH SEASON |
GREEN BAY PACKERS-CHICAGO BEARS TO KICK OFF CELEBRATION OF NFL'S 100TH SEASON
Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots to Host Sunday Night Football in Week 1
The NFL's 100th Season will kick off with a classic rivalry as the Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, September 5 at 8:20 PM ET on NBC. This will be the 199th meeting between the Bears and Packers, including regular-season and post-season games.
The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will raise their championship banner on NBC Sunday Night Football in Week 1 at 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, September 8. Their opponent will be announced when the full 2019 regular season schedule is released later this spring.
The announcement was made by Hans Schroeder, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media, at the League's Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ.
Both the 2019 Kickoff game between the Bears and Packers and Sunday Night Football will be broadcast by NBC.
| NFL TAPS NEW ERA CAP AS THE OFFICIAL OUTFITTER OF THE NFL SCOUTING COMBINE |
Starting in 2020, New Era Cap to serve as the exclusive apparel
and headwear provider of the NFL Scouting Combine
MARCH 25, 2019; PHOENIX, AZ: The National Football League today announced it has named international sports and lifestyle brand New Era Cap as the official outfitter of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Beginning with the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, New Era will provide all performance apparel and headwear used by the approximately 300 Combine Participants including outerwear, baselayer, compressionwear, fleece, pants, shorts, caps, knits, headbands, socks and more. The announcement was made by Renie Anderson, Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President of NFL Partnerships, at the League's Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ.
The Scouting Combine partnership with New Era extends an already deep relationship with the Buffalo, NY based company that already serves as the official on-field cap of the NFL and holds the naming rights to New Era Field, home of the Buffalo Bills.
"The Scouting Combine has become one of our key off-season events and we are thrilled to welcome New Era with such an important role and partnership," said Anderson. "New Era is a trusted partner on the field during the season and their caps are such a significant symbol at the NFL Draft. We look forward to them putting their mark on the NFL Scouting Combine."
"We're extremely excited to become the official outfitter of the NFL Combine and look forward to launching the collection next year," said Christopher Koch, CEO of New Era Cap. "New Era is the official on-field cap of the NFL and we provide college football players with their caps as they join the pros. With this partnership, we will now provide apparel and own the NFL journey from the field at the Combine to the stage at the Draft."
"New Era has been a premier partner of the Buffalo Bills for a decade and a very important part of our community for nearly a century," said Kim Pegula, Buffalo Bills co-owner and president. "New Era's local impact is especially apparent in Buffalo's emerging business district, where its headquarters has become a must-see attraction that has accelerated additional downtown development. We are extremely proud to display New Era's logo on our stadium. The NFL and its future stars will greatly benefit as New Era expands its league-wide role by providing all apparel and supporting the NFL Combine."
As part of the agreement, both New Era and Outerstuff will hold retail rights to a variety of NFL Scouting Combine products.
The NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) brings together over three hundred of the very best college football players who are invited to participate in four days of testing at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Indiana. Televised by NFL Network, top Executives, Coaching Staffs, Player Personnel Departments and Medical Personnel from all 32 NFL teams are on hand to evaluate these players for the upcoming NFL Draft.
| Verizon and NFL Innovation Partnership |
March 25, 2019 - Verizon and the NFL announced a two-year innovation partnership to jointly develop new products and services that utilize 5G and other future technologies to enhance NFL games and the overall fan experience.
This innovation partnership positions Verizon as "The Official 5G Innovation Partner of the NFL," and will initially include three pillars:
● In-Stadium Experience – Verizon and the NFL will develop new in-stadium mobile features designed to enhance the in-stadium fan experience by harnessing the power of 5G.
● 5G Mobile Gaming Challenge – Verizon and the NFL will call on game developers to create one or more NFL themed mobile games powered by 5G. The game(s) will be designed to showcase the power of 5G in gaming by taking advantage of low latency to enable higher quality experiences.
● Emerging Video Streaming Technology – Verizon will explore use of 5G to stream volumetric video, an emerging media format, for the development of new fan experiences and applications.
This innovation partnership is an expansion of Verizon's long-standing partnership with the NFL which includes mobile distribution of live games and other NFL content across its massive mobile network and distributed through Verizon Media's Yahoo! Sports; unique experiences for customers enrolled in the Verizon Up rewards program at key NFL events including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the NFL Draft; and coordination with individual NFL teams and venues on stadium technology to help improve operations and connectivity for fans.
Quote from Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon
"Today's announcement is another milestone in Verizon's long-standing relationship with the NFL. The Innovation Partnership will use Verizon's 5G technology to unlock new and exciting ways for NFL fans to view, share and engage with their favorite teams no matter where they are. From the living room to the stadium, 5G will transform the sports experience."
Quote from Roger Goodell, Commissioner, NFL
"For over 10 years now Verizon has been one of our most trusted partners and our work with them has delivered fans incredible access and experiences around the NFL. As the promise of 5G technology nears, I'm excited to enter into this innovation partnership with Verizon which should again bring a multitude of benefits to our millions of fans worldwide."
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