NFL approves change to enforcement of penalties on plays resulting in a change of possession
The approval of a ban on hip-drop tackles will be the headline on rules changes at this year's league meeting, but the league also approve a change to how fouls are enforced on plays resulting in a change of possession.
The Competition Committee proposed a change that would allow for penalties for major fouls committed by the offense — unnecessary roughness, for example — before the change of possession to be enforced on plays when there are fouls committed by both teams. The proposal was made because fouls by the offense in that situation were ignored and the Committee said it wanted "consistency with an effort to enforce all major fouls."
On Monday, the NFL announced that the proposal was approved in a vote of team owners. Two-thirds of the league's teams need to approve a change for it to become part of the rulebook.
The league also approved a proposal to allow teams a third challenge if either of their first two is successful.
