New NFL rules for 2025 season: yes, yes and yes!

Normally, change is hard to come by. As a sort of natural human reaction, we tend to resist change, especially when it comes to any of our grand traditions that have been with us for so long.

Longtime NFL fans are dealing with this right now, after the recent yearly owner meetings concluded with some new rules installed—some of which may shake the boots of some longtime NFL traditionalists.

Among the changes:

No more chain gangs to measure first downs! The longtime tradition to have the men with the first-down chains run onto the field for any close measurement has been rather rudely put out to pasture, replaced by modern technology (of course).  We will instead be introduced to the Hawk Eye measuring system, which automatically (and quickly) tells officials if in fact the ball had passed the first down line.

Also changing is the overtime rule. It will now be the same in regulation play as it is in the playoffs. No longer will one team be able to win the coin flip and then proceed to score a touchdown and call “game over.” Now, as in the playoffs, each team will get a chance with the ball and a chance to score—although the 10-minute clock will still be in effect.

 Another change, and a welcome one, will be on kickoffs going into the end zone. The new rule states that the ball will be placed on the 35-yard line, instead of the 30-yard line as before. This certainly will encourage teams to NOT kick it into the end zone, thus providing more exciting plays via kickoff returns.

Yet another rule change will be what they are calling “replay assist.” This means that there will be an NFL official watching video at league headquarters, and if they see a penalty flag thrown that by replay is clearly a mistake, then they can immediately notify the head referee through his headphones and make the correction. This will be done quickly and before the next play.u

As for the rule to eliminate “The Tush Push”? No decision has been made. The NFL owners have postponed a decision on this controversial new offensive strategy, and will look at it again when they reconvene in May.

The summary of all these changes, in this writer’s view? 

I give them a yes, a yes,  and a yes! All positive and much-needed rule changes, and will make the game much more efficiently conducted.  Change may be tough sometimes to adjust to, but in these cases? I think it will be all for the good.

Remember the old saying: “Change is inevitable—except from a vending machine.”