CFL Game Changes FAQ

[Blue In BC]

Making the field shorter makes it more square. I can see the day they shrink the width too. I would have vastly preferred a 10 yard end zone and the 110 yard field kept.

Goal post at the back of the end zone is the only part of this I like. Field goals have become too routine. MOS plays get across midfield and that's 3 points. Shouldn't be. 40 yards used to be a long one. Not sure how far they could kick when football was invented but I bet the way it is played now is not the way it was intended.

Part of the consideration to kick a FG is that a missed FG causes the returner to decide whether to return it or give up a single point.

Winning games by that very single point is a key aspect of the CFL making it different than the NFL. Why on earth would we want to do that?

Occasionally a FG is missed wide but not often it's short or very short. Now that calculation means a miss should be out of the end zone.

Previously a kick from the 40 yard line was 47 yards from launch point. Now it's 57 yards at the back of the end zone.

A miss like the one Vaval returned usually gets caught in the 5-10 yard range in the end zone. In this instance it was much further back.

[GOLDMEMBER]

I fear the league will lose more than gain fans as a result of these rule changes.

It could be a real poor move. Time will tell.

These changes are not a huge deal to me.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Part of the consideration to kick a FG is that a missed FG causes the returner to decide whether to return it or give up a single point.

Winning games by that very single point is a key aspect of the CFL making it different than the NFL. Why on earth would we want to do that?

Occasionally a FG is missed wide but not often it's short or very short. Now that calculation means a miss should be out of the end zone.

Previously a kick from the 40 yard line was 47 yards from launch point. Now it's 57 yards at the back of the end zone.

A miss like the one Vaval returned usually gets caught in the 5-10 yard range in the end zone. In this instance it was much further back.

Also the defenders will be 15 yds. closer to the goal-line, which will help cutting off the returner's escape route.

In 2024 there were 30 missed FG returns, the leader the Als James Letcher returned 6 for 251 yds. and a 41.8 yd avg. and 1 TD. Kiss those returns goodbye.

[theaardvark]

Also the defenders will be 15 yds. closer to the goal-line, which will help in cutting off the returner's escape route.

In 2024 there were 30 missed FG returns, the leader the Als James Letcher returned 6 for 251 yds. and a 41.8 yd avg. and 1 TD. Kiss those returns goodbye.

There will still be returns on blocked/shanked FG.

As to minor/uni ball changes, it is mostly paint.  The FG Posts move is not tough to do at all.  If anything, it can make more facilities CFL compliant. This configuration fits more fields by trimming 20 yds off the length in total. 

[TBURGESS]

We'd have 2 less wins this season if they took away the missed FG run back at the beginning of the season. 

[Jesse]

Moving the posts:

- safety issues. I could understand this move if it was made for those reasons, but in thr same way I hate the changes to kick off returns.

- Removal of the missed FG return which is a gigantic loss for the league

Rouge:

- Some people hate it, but it's a part of the game and our strategy. Just because it's different than the other league, doesn't make it bad.
- Again, it's not a reward for missing a kick, it's a point for getting close enough to kick it into the endzone without having the other team return it.

Field size:

- A complete joke.
- No justification. Just a complete pandering to the other league.
- The field is going to look ridiculous when you just chop off 20 yards from it.
- End zones being smaller limits the offence, doesn't add to it.

Time clock:

- The one thing TSN gets the most content on is the wild finishes with multiple lead changes. Those are gone now.
- Teams are going to be able to kneel down to end the game now.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

We'd have 2 less wins this season if they took away the missed FG run back at the beginning of the season.

Guess we better find a QB who can pass.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Moving the posts:

- safety issues. I could understand this move if it was made for those reasons, but in thr same way I hate the changes to kick off returns.

- Removal of the missed FG return which is a gigantic loss for the league

Rouge:

- Some people hate it, but it's a part of the game and our strategy. Just because it's different than the other league, doesn't make it bad.
- Again, it's not a reward for missing a kick, it's a point for getting close enough to kick it into the endzone without having the other team return it.

Field size:

- A complete joke.
- No justification. Just a complete pandering to the other league.
- The field is going to look ridiculous when you just chop off 20 yards from it.
- End zones being smaller limits the offence, doesn't add to it.

Time clock:

- The one thing TSN gets the most content on is the wild finishes with multiple lead changes. Those are gone now.
- Teams are going to be able to kneel down to end the game now.

Whose to say they don't add 3 timeouts per half?  Lots of strategy with those. Allows coaches to control the flow of game better too. There will be a cascade of adjustments to the rules as a result. And the NFL has finishes just as good or better than the CFL. 

Both leagues have a similar amount of plays run per game.

[Cool Spot]

Rouge:
- Again, it's not a reward for missing a kick, it's a point for getting close enough to kick it into the endzone without having the other team return it.

I've always joked it's a consolation prize to the kicker: "At least you tried, now here's a single point!"

[Jesse]

Whose to say they don't add 3 timeouts per half?  Lots of strategy with those. Allows coaches to control the flow of game better too. There will be a cascade of adjustments to the rules as a result. And the NFL has finishes just as good or better than the CFL. 

Both leagues have a similar amount of plays run per game.

Yeah, if they change a bunch more things, maybe they'll make the last 3 minutes of a CFL game exciting!

[dd]

I've always joked it's a consolation prize to the kicker: "At least you tried, now here's a single point!"

That is an easy fix, make a missed field goal the same as a kickoff-you don't get awarded a point unless the opponent touches it. Boom, problem solved I don't know why they haven't changed that decades ago!!

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I've always joked it's a consolation prize to the kicker: "At least you tried, now here's a single point!"

Why does the defending team get to place the ball at the 40 if the FG misses?  They did nothing to earn that reward.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Why does the defending team get to place the ball at the 40 if the FG misses?  They did nothing to earn that reward.

They could scrimmage from the spot of the kick which makes way more sense? But oh no ... It's an American rule!

[tlf]

The fact that Wade is on board with this, I do not like. Is he just going with it to be a good guy? I thought he was very pro CFL...not this.

I thought he and Osh (although I don't know how Osh feels), would be the most Canadian of all the CFL, is surprising. 

LOVE Rourke today.  Perhaps my new fave CFL player (sorry Zach..speak up man).  I'd love more players and coaches speaking up. 

I plan to speak with my money and might renew next year but I'm not paying to see that. It starts in 2027, so one more year of a decent sized field.  sigh.

[Tecno]

Why does the defending team get to place the ball at the 40 if the FG misses?  They did nothing to earn that reward.

It's currently the 35.  They kept it the same when they changed the rest to 40.

But ya, I get your point.  But it's gotta start somewhere.  So where else?  If anything the "free starting point" should be consistent through the whole game.  Maybe it will be because now they should start at the 35 again (or 30!) because the field is 10Y shorter!

You could implement a "KO on every free start" rule, but that might screw up the player safety goals.