CFL defensive co-ordinators will have much more to contend with this season.
The CFL will move its hashmarks closer to the centre of the field and allow teams to take the ball at the 40-yard line following a successful field goal or single in 2022. The moves highlight rules changes recently approved by the leagueB次元官网网址檚 board of governors.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about improving game flow,B次元官网网址� CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said Wednesday. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about limiting the number of two-and-outs.
B次元官网网址淔ans donB次元官网网址檛 want to see our players running on and off the field in exchanging punts. They want to see our offences on the field, they want to see great running and passing plays. I think weB次元官网网址檙e going to see that this will definitely help in that area.B次元官网网址�
鉁� Two quarterbacks will be allowed on the field at the same time
B次元官网网址� CFL (@CFL)
鉁� Hashmarks will be nine yards apart instead of 17 yards apart
& much more.
Our exciting product will have a few changes for the upcoming 2022 season:
RULES CHANGES:
The league returned to the field last season after skipping the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But many cited a drop-off in the level of play as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (23 offensive points per game) were the leagueB次元官网网址檚 top-scoring team and Montreal Alouettes (371.8 yards per game) boasted the top-gaining offence.
Last yearB次元官网网址檚 average attendance dropped to 19,164 compared to 22,917 in 2019 when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats led the CFL in scoring (26.1 points per game) and offence (393.7 yards per game).
This year, the CFL will move its hashmarks closer to the centre of the field (28 yards from the nearest sideline rather than 24). That means theyB次元官网网址檒l be nine yards apart rather than 17. Since all plays start with the ball between the hashmarks, the change will make more of the field available for offences.
B次元官网网址淔or me, it goes back months listening to some of our GMs and coaches explain this,B次元官网网址� Ambrosie said. B次元官网网址淗ereB次元官网网址檚 what they say: When youB次元官网网址檙e on the left hash, there is no coach that wants that ball thrown to the right sideline because itB次元官网网址檚 just too far and that ball is going to be in the air a long time.
B次元官网网址淲hat this does now is make the entire field part of an offenceB次元官网网址檚 canvas. When one of the features of your game is a large field, then you learn through conversations with football guys that youB次元官网网址檙e not really using that field the way it was designed to be used and you have an elegant solution to bringing the entire field back into play, I think you have to consider that a success.B次元官网网址�
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Following a field goal or single, offences will now start from the 40-yard line rather than the 35. And teams kicking off to start a game or following a TD will do so from the 30-yard line rather than the 35.
Kickoffs following a safety will now be from the 20-yard line rather than the 25.
B次元官网网址淭he closer you are to your end zone the more cautious you are,B次元官网网址� Ambrosie said. B次元官网网址淭his just takes that one step closer to an offence being able to go out there and play football and activate its entire offensive playbook because youB次元官网网址檝e taken away some of the risk from a field position point of view.
B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檙e going to see offensive co-ordinators send their guys out with the intention of every new drive being a scoring opportunity. That to me is exciting.B次元官网网址�
Head coach Mike OB次元官网网址橲hea of the Grey Cup-champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers said the narrowing of the hashmarks and improving where offences start drives following field goals and singles should boost excitement.
B次元官网网址淥ffensively it (narrowing of hashmarks) should open up the playbook a little more and allow you to use the entire field,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址橲hea told reporters during a CFL conference call. B次元官网网址淭he hope is it (changing rules) generates more excitement.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the hope and IB次元官网网址檓 sure it will have some of the desired affect. It should be more exciting also in a variety of different aspects of the game.B次元官网网址�
Defensive co-ordinators, however, likely wonB次元官网网址檛 share AmbrosieB次元官网网址檚 enthusiasm for the changes.
B次元官网网址淚 think our defensive co-ordinators will have their work cut out for them but theyB次元官网网址檙e a very talented bunch,B次元官网网址� Ambrosie said. B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 think for a moment they wonB次元官网网址檛 come up with some solutions.B次元官网网址�
Other changes include:
B次元官网网址� All no-yard penalties will be 15 yards. Previously, teams were penalized five yards if a punt hit the ground first and 15 yards if they infringed upon the five-yard area around a returner while the ball was still in the air. Also, punts that go out of bounds before reaching an opponentB次元官网网址檚 15-yard line will result in a penalty rather than only those that go out before the 20-yard line.
B次元官网网址� Two quarterbacks will be allowed on the field simultaneously so long as all other ratio rules are satisfied.
B次元官网网址�- A communications co-ordinator from the officiating department connected to the on-field crew via headset will be on each teamB次元官网网址檚 bench. That will allow for information to be shared with coaches without the referee coming to the sidelines, thus improving game flow.
B次元官网网址� Any penalty occurring at the end of the first and third quarters will be assigned at the start of next quarter rather than triggering an extension of the existing quarter.
B次元官网网址� The command centreB次元官网网址檚 ability to help on-field officials B次元官网网址� without a coachB次元官网网址檚 challenge or officialsB次元官网网址� huddle B次元官网网址� will now include possession and boundary rulings as well as administrative rulings like formations without an end or ineligible receivers downfield.
B次元官网网址� Quarterbacks who fake giving themselves up on running plays will be flagged for objectionable conduct.
B次元官网网址� Any player receiving two unnecessary roughness calls or two objectionable conduct penalties (or combination of the two) in a game will be ejected.
CFL training camps are scheduled to open May 15. Teams will play two exhibition games _ for the first time since 2019 _ and a full 18-game regular campaign opens June 9 with the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Calgary Stampeders.
The Grey Cup will be held Nov. 20 in Regina.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e said for a while now, take me to a game thatB次元官网网址檚 49-49 with a minute remaining,B次元官网网址� Ambrosie said. B次元官网网址淚 know regardless of the final outcome, fans will go home happy.
B次元官网网址淚 think these changes are going to give us a chance to play real, wide-open CFL football and itB次元官网网址檚 going to have a very positive affect on fan enjoyment.B次元官网网址�
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
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