We’ve reached the point in the NFL offseason where we get to discuss some potential rule changes! Last year, we of course saw the move to the dynamic kickoff, as well as the league awarding a third challenge to a team following one successful challenge. We also saw the hip-drop tackle “outlawed,” although it was more often fined after the fact than called on the field.
What rule changes could be coming down the line this year? Believe it or not, we got wind of some potential changes during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but now, they have officially been submitted by teams and announced by the league. First of all, the proposed changes have to be approved by 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners to go into effect, and those votes could take place at the NFL’s owners meeting later this month in Palm Beach, Florida. Let’s take a look at some of the issues being raised around the league.
‘Tush Push’
It’s official, the Green Bay Packers are going after the “Tush Push.” The proposal is stated this way:
“To prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.”
The Packers say the reason they want this changed is, “Player safety; pace of play.”
This comes as no surprise, as it was reported at the combine that the Packers were looking to outlaw the Philadelphia Eagles‘ special play.
“There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less,” Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy wrote on the Packers website. “I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this, but it is no longer enforced because I believe it was thought to be too hard for the officials to see. The play is bad for the game, and we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”
The Packers aren’t the only team against the “Tush Push,” as Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said at the combine he’s not a fan of it either, while Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott echoes the Packers in believing there’s an injury risk associated with the play. Interestingly enough, CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported the league’s internal data on the tush push revealed there was a 0% injury rate when pushing tushes.
Defensive holding and illegal contact penalties
As it stands now, 5 yards and an automatic first down are awarded to the offense when defensive holding or illegal contact is called. The Detroit Lions want to change that. What’s the reason for this desired change?
“Competitive equity. Current penalty enforcement is too punitive for the defense,” the Lions stated.
Regular-season overtime rules
The Eagles want the regular-season overtime rules to match what we have in the playoffs — where both teams get a chance to possess the ball. The proposal is stated this way:
“To align the postseason and regular-season overtime rules by granting both teams an opportunity to possess the ball regardless of the outcome of the first possession, subject to a 15-minute overtime period in the regular season.”
CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones previously reported the competition committee would look at adjusting the regular-season overtime rules. In the playoffs, overtime is a 15-minute period where EACH TEAM has the chance to possess the ball — even if the team that receives the ball to begin overtime scores a touchdown.
In 2024, teams that won the coin toss in regular-season overtimes won 12 out of 16 games. There were just 11.6 plays per overtime in 2024, which was the second fewest in the past two decades.
Playoff seeding change
Now here’s an interesting one. Remember when the Minnesota Vikings finished as the No. 5 seed last season despite going 14-3? Some found that pretty ridiculous, including their rivals, the No. 1-seeded Lions. Detroit is looking to change the playoff seeding format so that they reflect records instead of divisions. Here is how it’s stated:
“To amend the current playoff seeding format to allow wild-card teams to be seeded higher than division champions if the wild-card team has a better regular-season record.”
What’s Detroit’s reasoning?
“Competitive equity. Provides excitement and competition in late-season games. Rewards the best-performing teams from the regular season,” the Lions said.
You may remember that the Lions defeated the Vikings in a critical regular-season finale that decided who would get the No. 1 seed, division title and first-round postseason bye, and who would get the No. 5 seed. While Detroit won that game, it clearly didn’t like finding itself in that position.
Other potential changes
Virtual measurement
The chain gang could become a thing of the past. Well, it will still be on the sidelines, but not the main authority when it comes to ruling first downs. According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the NFL plans to recommend the use of virtual measurement as the primary way to determine first downs beginning in the 2025 regular season.
Sony Hawk-Eye’s SkeleTRACK system is the future, and the NFL has been working with this technology since 2021. Jones actually detailed this a couple weeks ago at the Super Bowl. Check out his article, here.
“… A 14-camera system that specifically monitors more than two-dozen skeletal points on a player’s body. That system, along with the chips in the footballs and the 18 other specific cameras strategically placed around the stadium, can all be combined to harvest a fully computerized model that potentially tracks where the ball is when players are down, if someone has achieved a first down or if they have scored.”
Replay review
Last year, the competition committee expanded replay assist to include objective input on roughing the passer, late hits out of bounds and intentional grounding. Could more be coming?
NFL executive Troy Vincent said in December that the competition committee will discuss expanding replay assist to include certain penalties such as face masks, per NFL Media. However, there is plenty to debate when it comes to this potential change. Are we going to allow penalties to be called by people not on the field? Then, the competition committee hasn’t exactly appeared motivated to make — should we call them — subjective fouls, reviewable. Remember how it went when the league made pass interference reviewable in 2019? There is a lot to consider with this.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
March 19, 2025 | 1:10 pm
