Sky Judge

In 2020, the NFL is planning on experimenting with the sky judge. This rule was first utilized during the short Alliance of American Football. This rule was brought forth by the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers. This will create an umpire in the booth along with a senior technology advisor. Each official will have the ability to access video and either make officiating calls based on what they are seeing.

The competition committee wasn’t sold on this idea and thus recommend it to be an experiment during the preseason.

Fourth & 15

For several years, football fans have seen this rule from the indoor game to the AAF and most recently the XFL. Instead of attempting to convert an onside kick, teams will have to convert a fourth and 15 from the 25 yard line. Teams will have to gain at least 15 yards to continue the drive. This rule is proposed by the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 2019 Pro Bowl, this rule was used and it quickly gained popularity.

As for the competition committee, they have endorsed two minor rule changes for owners to consider:

Defenseless Player protection

Expanding player protection on a defenseless player. With this rule, a returner who has secured possession but hasn’t had the opportunity to ward off contact.

Changing a Loopwhole Rule

In the National Football League rulebook there is a rule that a team can drain the clock by committing multiple dead fouls while the clock was running. The New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans and several other teams have used this rule in the past.

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