PHOENIX – The Annual League Meetings in Arizona have concluded, and the league's ownership approved seven playing rules proposals, six bylaw proposals and two resolution proposals.
The biggest news to come out of Arizona was the approval to extend replay to include pass interference calls, including no calls, in the replay review system. Coaches will be able to challenge those plays like any other challengeable play. Any reviews of those plays in the last two minutes of each half will come from the replay booth.
The Lions were in favor of the changes and voted for them.
"There was a lot of discussion about replays, I'm sure you guys have heard, and there were a number of proposals," team president Rod Wood said. "The one that we ultimately settled on kind of came together this afternoon after the discussion this morning on it. I think there was some concern about having it all done upstairs and coaches challenging in the last two minutes on Hail Mary plays and I think they kind of found a middle ground that keeps the current system in place and utilizes the replay official upstairs in the last two minutes and it takes the play that ended the NFC Championship Game off of the table of being a discussion item as opposed to something that was reviewed."
Here's a look at the full list of adopted playing rules, bylaws and proposals:
Approved playing rules
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 bylaws
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 resolutions
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.
