00 20/03/2002 20:00
notizie dell'ultima ora......nuove regole dalla NFL


Record in common games was moved up as a tiebreaker for the playoffs. With realignment, common games become more critical, with as many as 14 of them possible for teams tied in the standings. For a division championship, common games became the third tiebreaker behind head-to-head record and best winning percentage in division games. That also holds for a two-team tie for a wild-card spot. In a tie among three or more teams for the wild card, however, record in common games is the fourth tiebreaker. The owners also moved the strength-of-victory tiebreaker ahead of the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker, making it fifth in the order for division champions, fourth for the wild card when two teams are tied, and fifth when three teams tie for a wild-card spot. Also, with realignment to four divisions of four teams each, the six playoff qualifiers in each conference will be the four division winners and the two teams with the next-best records.

On a kickoff, the clock will start only when the ball is legally touched on the field of play at all times. In the past, that was true only in the final two minutes of each half and in overtime.

On a sack in the last two minutes of either half, the clock no longer will stop until the ball is re-spotted. The competition committee believed that rewarded the offense for a bad play, and the owners agreed.

Home teams no longer can play artificial noise or music when the visiting team has the ball.

A player no longer can be ruled out of bounds when he touches a pylon unless he already touched the boundary line.

Continuing-action fouls now will be ruled as dead-ball fouls. If a team gains 10 yards on first down, but an offensive player then commits a personal or unsportsmanlike foul after the down ends, the play will count. Then the 15-yard penalty will be marked off from the spot where the play ended.

A defender can strip the ball from an opponent. Even though this has been allowed for years, the rulebook had language that prohibited it. That language was removed.

All chop blocks on kicking plays now are illegal and penalized 15 yards.

A quarterback who has become a defender after a turnover can't be hit helmet to helmet, even if he has made a move to tackle the ball carrier. The quarterback can be blocked in other legal ways, however.












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