CFL announces changes to the game - merged topics

[peg_city]

If it results in us becoming a feeder league to the NFL, then yes.

I won't be surprised if this results in an CFL/UFL merger.

[Blue In BC]

Nope. Not one of the changes looks to improve the game and in fact some take away some of the most significant aspects.

How many recent games were decided by last second game winning FG's this season? Add 15 yards to every one of those attempts and tell me whether any of them would have been made? Obviously some last second FG's come from much closer but often the are hope and a prayer to make a long one.

In many instances a team will try a very long FG. Some will succeed while many will fail. Castillo kicked a 63 yard one this season and made it. Now that same attempt is 78 yards!!! Whether it's a game winner or just a long attempt to score is important in the excitement of the CFL.

[blue_gold_84]

I'd select meh if it were an option.

[Blue In BC]

If it results in us becoming a feeder league to the NFL, then yes.

I won't be surprised if this results in an CFL/UFL merger.

Yeah right. The 7 players that went to the NFL in their option year will increase to 9 that won't succeed. The NFL already has USA college and USFL as feeder leagues.

I'm surprised the USFL will continue playing in 2026. What advantage would a merger be with that phoenix?

[bwiser]

I never thought it made sense to have the goal posts in the field of play. I don't mind the rule about not getting a single point if the ball goes through the endzone untouched.I am not so crazy about taking away the single point for a missed field goal. It will eliminate exciting plays like Vaval's returns this past weekend.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Rouge is now a 1 point touchback.  Precision punting becomes huge.  When you punt instead of going for a FG, now you need to land it in the EZ, no further.  Sheahan is going to excel...

Don't think it will change the punting strategy, they don't want it to go in the endzone as it costs them a point, and moves the ball to the 40 yd if not returned.

[markf]

It's all about money for guys like him. Everything else comes second - and it's a distant second, to be sure.

But at least he sprinkled in some anecdotes of his time playing football back in high school nearly 40 years ago. Those were useful. /s

It's not inconceivable that there is some kind of back burner plan/hope to get NFL team in Toronto.

That actually explains this fairly well.

Then the rest of the league can just fold . Which appears to be ok with some owners. When you read about the lack of owner interest in their own teams in some cities. Would the billionaire owners of the stamps care if the league folded? Specially if they got to own part of an NFL team in Toronto?

If it's all about the money, NFL is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

My guess is "all options are on the table"

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

The shortening of the endzone will also eliminate a lot of chaos that occurs within the longer field, receivers will be more constrained to running their routes and won't have as much space to improvise.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Yes and keep them coming. 

[blue_or_die]

It's all about money for guys like him. Everything else comes second - and it's a distant second, to be sure.

But at least he sprinkled in some anecdotes of his time playing football back in high school nearly 40 years ago. Those were useful. /s

I would actually be ok with this all if he or anyone else could please draw a line from the dot where these changes are made and the dot where more money is realized.

The changes are one thing and as much as I hate that we are making most of these changes, I'll keep an open mind (I don't really have a choice). But the "why" is what I do not understand. I don't believe that any of these make the game significantly better, and definitely don't see how any of them will make the CFL more palatable to current non-CFL football fans.

Until someone can show me how these modifications lead to a healthier and more robust league, this all looks like change for the sake of change. I've never heard an NFL fan say, "Oh man, the NFL is so dope b/c the endzones are like smaller"

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

It's not inconceivable that there is some kind of back burner plan/hope to get NFL team in Toronto.

That actually explains this fairly well.

Then the rest of the league can just fold . Which appears to be ok with some owners. When you read about the lack of owner interest in their own teams in some cities.

If it's all about the money, NFL is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

My guess is "all options are on the table"

That only helps out one group unless MLSE is going to award shares to the other owners.

[Knocker42]

I think they should make it a live ball when any ball strikes a goalpost from a field goal attempt or a punt and comes back into the field of play (including the end zone). Very unpredictable situation which could lead to exciting plays.

[Ridermania]

Hurts minor football programs from using CFL stadiums.

[dd]

Barf!!! Hate all the proposed changes all they are trying to do is Americanize our game, even the timing changes are how the Americans time the game, there's nothing wrong with our current version of the game, leave the deeper end zone, leave the 110 yd field. The goal posts could be moved to back of end zone for player safety but there's no returning a missed field goal and that would mean vavals Td run wouldn't have happened this past game, and everyone wants this?? Leave the rouge as is, one point is scored if you don't get a kicked ball out of your end zone. The Americans don't give up a point and look how absolutely boring their kicking game is.

Boooo to all the proposed changes!!

[theaardvark]

If they'd narrowed the field, or gone to 11 players, no, no way.  I'd hate them.

These changes do clean up the endzones, make the fields standard east or west.  Rouge change, not a huge fan of, but its going to mean a lot more accurate placement punting and K/O's after penalties. 

Clock, have to see how it affects tempo plays and personnel changes.  With two sidelines, that's going to reduce the personnel change issue a bit, and we will have to see how injuries affect it, maybe have it become a 20 second clock blown in by the ref after the injured player is removed from play.