The NFL have made multiple rule changes ahead of the 2023 season, and now games could be even longer with their latest adjustments.
The alteration to the fair catch rule already received backlash from fans as they feel the NFL is trying too hard to encourage offense and that plays could become more artificial. But now Football Operations have confirmed that the final two minutes of each half will also be changed.
When the two-minute warning is in play, it is common to see teams run their offense on fourth down, leaving their kicker for when they're in field goal position depending on how much time is left. Instant replay decisions are often used to determine ball position in pressurised moments, with the play clock set to 25 seconds if replays determine a reversal of the on-field call.
But now the NFL will add 40 seconds to the clock instead, adding more time to the game in big moments. 15 seconds extra may not sound like a lot, but over the course of the season it will certainly add up.
"New for 2023, when an instant replay decision results in a reversal under 2:00, the play clock will be reset to :40 instead of :25; unless another rule requires otherwise, such as when there is also a :10 runoff, in which case the play clock will be reset to :30," the new rules state.
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"Additionally, inside 2:00, reversing from a ruling with a stopped clock to one with a running clock requires either a :10 second runoff or a charged team timeout."
Changes have also been made to failed fourth-down conversions. An automatic booth review will add another time-consuming element making games slightly longer.
"All failed fourth-down conversions will now be an automatic booth review, similar to other turnover situations," another new rule states.
"Head coaches are prohibited from challenging a failed fourth-down conversion. However, successful fourth-down conversions still require a coach to challenge unless they occur inside the two-minute warning or during overtime."
The NFL continues to make tweaks to the rulesThe new rules are in addition to the fair catch rule, which owners agreed to change back in May. The revised rule means that fair catch will now see possession begin at the team's own 25-yard line. Player safety is the main reason for the rule change, stopping punt returners from risking serious injury.
"The kickoff play for us has been a play that has had a lot of changes for us over the years, all really driven by health and safety," Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL's competition committee, told NFL Network. "The concussion rate on the play has gone up.
"It's gone up because the ball is being returned more by kicks that are being hung inside the 5-yard line. College made this rule change in maybe 2018 or 2019. We looked at their data and said, 'you know what, this is the right thing to do now.'"
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