Stamps and Elks GM interviews.
CFL to retain 20 second for last 3 minutes of each half. This seemed like an inevitable decision.
I was expecting a 20 second clock after a stoppage in play, similar to the 25 second clock in the NFL.
Overtime rule change - no more tie games. If tied after 2 mini games, there will be alternating converts from the 3 yard line.
I don't recall this one being on the agenda. Personally, I have no issue with a tie (very infrequent).
https://3downnation.com/2026/01/14/cfl-rules-committee-recommends-leaving-late-half-clock-unchanged-eliminating-ties-in-overtime/ (https://3downnation.com/2026/01/14/cfl-rules-committee-recommends-leaving-late-half-clock-unchanged-eliminating-ties-in-overtime/)
I hate rules where it's a certain way for the entire game and then changes after a certain point. It makes the league more confusing and harder to understand for new fans. Feels counterintuitive to what they say they're trying to do.
The tie thing is whatever, I guess. Ties are so infrequent it seems like it's fixing another non-existent problem.
Quote from: Stats Junkie on January 14, 2026, 07:18:26 AMCFL to retain 20 second for last 3 minutes of each half. This seemed like an inevitable decision.
Haha, instead of coming up with novel ways to meld the new 35s clock with the existing clock-stoppage system they just took the easy way out. However, I do think it's the correct decision. We would all be devastated if the final minutes of halves started looking like the crap in the NFL. (I'm watching the playoffs and their rules are the same joke they've always been.)
Johnston gonna be hella mad, though. Dude is on record saying he
hates the final 3 mins taking 20 minutes to play. Which is funny, because that's what most of us LIKE! Proving once again, he's not a CFL fan, and he has no clue.
Quote from: Stats Junkie on January 14, 2026, 07:18:26 AMOvertime rule change - no more tie games. If tied after 2 mini games, there will be alternating converts from the 3 yard line.
This is probably for gambling. A tie is a push for some bets, and a push is the worst thing for the bookies -- no money made on either side's bet.
And with less/no rouges, we'll probably get more overtimes than usual. That single point keeps things pretty wild.
Most seasons there are 0 to 2 ties total. I think '25 had 0 ties. So it won't do much, practically. As such, even though I wouldn't have bothered, I can't say I hate the change.
The unforeseen problem: 2 bad teams who go into 3rd OT and the 2-pt shootout... they could both get 0 successes for 2, 3, 4, 5 rounds! This could result in crazy long OTs/games. The first time this happens it'll rub people the wrong way.
To speed things up I would mandate the side they play on NOT change after each round. I would not cut to commercial. I would just have them swap O's and D's immediately and snap the ball for each attempt. If they change sides and/or cut to ads it'll take forever.
Quote from: Jesse on January 14, 2026, 10:43:01 AMI hate rules where it's a certain way for the entire game and then changes after a certain point. It makes the league more confusing and harder to understand for new fans. Feels counterintuitive to what they say they're trying to do.
Well, it was a bit like that already, no? However, this new system the change will be more noticeable. So HC's can drag their feet in the final 3 just like they're used to? Hehe, MOS had a say in this on the rules committee, eh? Hehehe.
Quote from: gobombersgo on January 14, 2026, 09:29:22 PM
When Stewie mentions "data", he really means something less trustworthy.
Quote from: Throw Long Bannatyne on January 15, 2026, 06:52:53 PMWhen Stewie mentions "data", he really means something less trustworthy.
Data driven by sports betting?
I think eventually you'll see the clock rules change in the final three minutes also because to me it doesn't make sense to have two sets of clock rules.
We just might need to actually play a bit with what we've changed before the buy in comes.
I agree that it makes no sense to have 2 different sets of clock rules. My solution is to go back to the one set of clock rules that have always worked.
(https://imgs.search.brave.com/peJOYfuGr-H2JiQgOeT4GAhmyd7GcJ80-cKZXY_CBxc/rs:fit:860:0:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWRp/YS5pc3RvY2twaG90/by5jb20vaWQvMTQ5/Mjk3MDI3L3Bob3Rv/L2tpc3Mta2VlcC1p/dC1zaW1wbGUtc3R1/cGlkLmpwZz9zPTEw/MjR4MTAyNCZ3PWlz/Jms9MjAmYz1VVXNt/c3VLaDU3ZndObTBT/TGhVRVpJUEVLUC1h/S2NuR2JKU2lhOFdD/UV9vPQ)
Quote from: TBURGESS on January 15, 2026, 11:59:10 PMI agree that it makes no sense to have 2 different sets of clock rules. My solution is to go back to the one set of clock rules that have always worked.
(https://imgs.search.brave.com/peJOYfuGr-H2JiQgOeT4GAhmyd7GcJ80-cKZXY_CBxc/rs:fit:860:0:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWRp/YS5pc3RvY2twaG90/by5jb20vaWQvMTQ5/Mjk3MDI3L3Bob3Rv/L2tpc3Mta2VlcC1p/dC1zaW1wbGUtc3R1/cGlkLmpwZz9zPTEw/MjR4MTAyNCZ3PWlz/Jms9MjAmYz1VVXNt/c3VLaDU3ZndObTBT/TGhVRVpJUEVLUC1h/S2NuR2JKU2lhOFdD/UV9vPQ)
Agreed, though in the spirit of not being an old stick in the mud and hating change just because it's new and different, I will say that the clock adjustments are the rule change that I have the least issue with. It's not a terrible idea to standardize the time in-between plays. Though I feel sometimes it's more on the refs than anything, which aren't going to improve with a more involved process.
Quote from: Jesse on January 16, 2026, 12:07:21 AMAgreed, though in the spirit of not being an old stick in the mud and hating change just because it's new and different, I will say that the clock adjustments are the rule change that I have the least issue with. It's not a terrible idea to standardize the time in-between plays. Though I feel sometimes it's more on the refs than anything, which aren't going to improve with a more involved process.
I think adding pressure to the refs. to come to quicker resolutions is going to produce less accurate results, the officials generally do well when they congregate and discuss who saw what. This change seems to be driven by TSN in an attempt to make the game better fit their broadcast objectives and hurry it along.
Quote from: Throw Long Bannatyne on January 16, 2026, 12:59:53 AMI think adding pressure to the refs. to come to quicker resolutions is going to produce less accurate results, the officials generally do well when they congregate and discuss who saw what. This change seems to be driven by TSN in an attempt to make the game better fit their broadcast objectives and hurry it along.
100% TSN is dictating what happens through their puppet master.
Quote from: Throw Long Bannatyne on January 16, 2026, 12:59:53 AMI think adding pressure to the refs.
It also may spell the end of portly stick handlers. Those dudes are going to be hustling now to get those sticks moved 50Y downfield and set well before the 35s clock expires.
Let's say it takes them 20s in some cases... that means teams may be breaking the huddle before the sticks are even set! And how will the line refs set their feet spread if there is no stick there yet?
I really do foresee a big keystone cops farce by all parties involved for the first few weeks. HCs won't be fast enough picking units, players won't be fast enough entering/leaving the field (good luck with hoggies), chain gang will be tripping over themselves sprinting to the new spot, refs will be falling down trying to get the ball set in a reasonable time frame.
The hubris in thinking CFL people can do it better/faster than the NFL people,
and on a longer (for now) and wider field! I can see them switching to a 40s clock in '27. They probably chose 35s simply because they wanted to avoid the "Americanization" cry that the other changes were already inducing, knowing full well in the end they really wanted 40.
IMP draft is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Thankfully it's really a non-issue. Not even sure why he's bringing it up.
Almost never do 2 teams scout the same guy. They are all NFL rejects who teams are taking wild flyers on and no nothing concrete about until they get to TC.
Why would a draft be needed?
Maybe all of this nonsense is to distract from the actual changes occurring that are causing an actual uproar.
This new commish seems to be the most clueless the CFL has had for the last 60 years.
...I think an import draft is a good idea in the same sense that I think we could just call it "the CFL draft" and find the best players on planet earth not in the NFL and play them.
There's both your credibility and simplicity in one easy sentence.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on January 16, 2026, 11:55:25 AM...I think an import draft is a good idea in the same sense that I think we could just call it "the CFL draft" and find the best players on planet earth not in the NFL and play them.
There's both your credibility and simplicity in one easy sentence.
...and once everyone was drafter they'd have to go on a neg list anyway that teams would want to constantly adjust the same as they do now.
It would be a pointless exercise.
Quote from: Jesse on January 16, 2026, 04:52:27 PM...and once everyone was drafter they'd have to go on a neg list anyway that teams would want to constantly adjust the same as they do now.
It would be a pointless exercise.
But at least TSN could televise it!
/s
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on January 16, 2026, 11:55:25 AM...I think an import draft is a good idea in the same sense that I think we could just call it "the CFL draft" and find the best players on planet earth not in the NFL and play them.
Then what would be the point of paying scouts? We find some obscure kid paying to attend a minicamp in Poopdeck Alabama just to put him in an IMP draft so we lose him to the Argos? Ah... no.
The current scouting paradigm works just fine.
Now, if the idea of IMP draft is JUST for neg list nonsense, then ya ok, whatever. Who cares. 99% of neg list guys never set foot north of 49. Still seems pointless, though.
Quote from: Tecno on January 17, 2026, 05:13:06 AMThen what would be the point of paying scouts? We find some obscure kid paying to attend a minicamp in Poopdeck Alabama just to put him in an IMP draft so we lose him to the Argos? Ah... no.
The current scouting paradigm works just fine.
Now, if the idea of IMP draft is JUST for neg list nonsense, then ya ok, whatever. Who cares. 99% of neg list guys never set foot north of 49. Still seems pointless, though.
If there was only one draft for all potential players, then under your scenario description (which succeeds simultaneously in being disrespectful and ignorant) he would either be drafted by us or another team, or would not, and could be signed by anyone at any time.
You may recognize this radical format to be like, well, virtually every professional sports league in North America.
Quote from: Sir Blue and Gold on January 17, 2026, 12:52:45 PMIf there was only one draft for all potential players, then under your scenario description (which succeeds simultaneously in being disrespectful and ignorant) he would either be drafted by us or another team, or would not, and could be signed by anyone at any time.
You may recognize this radical format to be like, well, virtually every professional sports league in North America.
LOL. What's disrespectful about dissing a dumb idea?
As to your bolded point: no, no other sports league in Canada/USA has a separate draft just foreigners. The NFL puts Canadians into their main draft like they were American: there is no separate "Canadian draft" for the NFL.
Only the CFL does this, and only for the globally-scattered GLOBs -- and only because to individually scout guys in Poland or Bolivia or Laos would be impossible.
To reiterate: a CFL IMP draft still makes no sense because then you could fire all of your scouts and just let the players come to you as you select the BPA when it's your turn. Let all the other teams' scouts do all the leg work, and put all that saved coaches cap into actual coaches.
Again: why would I scout the best new IMP REC ever if I'm picking 8th in 1st round, and (again) TOR picks him overall #2?
Unless I'm missing some new paradigm thinking here, an IMP draft is the dumbest idea I've ever witnessed. You didn't explain it any better, and neither has anyone else. I think all these bad ideas are just to keep the meetings (and fans' minds) tied up with nonsense so they can't push back on the changes that are actually happening.
Can you imagine how many rounds you would need?
And what do you end up with? Players on a neg list, basically. Because almost no players drafted would be signing in the CFL the first year.
32 teams with full rosters to draft to fighting over the top players coming out of college makes sense.
9 teams filling half their rosters, not so much.