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League Passes Five New Rules; Also Put Kibosh On Dunking
As NFL.com reported it, a day after approving a rule to allow referees to consult with the officiating department in New York during replay review, the league came to a decision on the rest of the rules proposals on the docket.

There are some changes of interest to fantasy football owners.

Here are the rules that will now be in place for 2014:

1. The New England Patriots' proposal to extend the goal posts five feet has passed.

2. The "NaVorro Bowman Rule" was passed. That allows the officials to make the recovery of a loose ball in the field of play a reviewable call. This loophole was exposed when Bowman clearly recovered a ball in the NFC Championship Game last year, but the play couldn't be under review.

3. The game clock will now continue after a quarterback sack outside of two minutes.

4. A rule protecting players from getting the sides of their legs rolled up on. The rule already says a blocker can’t hit an opponent in the back of the legs, this proposal will add “or side” to the rule.

5. Defensive fouls behind the line of scrimmage will be enforced from the previous spot, rather than from the end of the run or from the spot of the foul.

Here are the proposals that failed:

1. Multiple proposals to expand plays that can be reviewed were shot down. The Patriots had suggested allowing all plays to be reviewed. The Washington Redskins wanted personal fouls to be reviewed. Less than 50 percent of coaches supported the measure to make all plays reviewable, according to the Competition Committee. The committee said the topic inspired a lot of debate.

2. The Redskins' proposal to move the kickoff to the 40-yard line was shot down. So was their idea to eliminate the training camp roster cutdown to 75 players.

3. The Patriots' proposal to move the extra point back to the 25-yard line failed, but the league will experiment with a new extra-point system during the preseason. Extra points in Weeks 1 and 2 of the preseason will be snapped from the 20-yard line. (Making them like a 37-yard field goal.)

4. The proposal to allow an unlimited number of players on injured reserve to return to the active roster failed. Jeff Fisher of the Competition Committee said that vote wasn't close.

No decision yet:

1. The abolition of overtime in the preseason was tabled until May.

2. The idea to expand the practice squad from eight to ten players was also tabled. The same goes for expanding rosters for Thursday night games to 49 from 46.

3. The league also put off deciding whether to allow teams to open their roof during halftime at games for weather reasons.

4. The Competition Committee told the Patriots that it will look at the possibility of adding cameras to all goal lines, side lines and end lines. The NFL will discuss the possibility with its broadcast partners.

A few other notes. ...NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino first told the "Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday that dunking over the crossbar will be penalized, starting this season.

There already was a rule in place against using the football as a prop in celebrations. Penalizing dunks is an enforcement of the existing rule, as opposed to a new rule on the books.

"We grandfathered in some, the Lambeau Leap and things like that. But dunking will come out," Blandino said. "Using the ball as a prop or any object as a prop, whether that's the goal post, the crossbar, that will come out and that will be a foul next season." It's perhaps no coincidence that Blandino's revelation comes at a time when the NFL's Competition Committee is considering raising the goal posts by 5 feet.

As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggests, after watching Jimmy Graham rock the crossbar off kilter last season, the league might have decided it would be easier to wreak havoc on raised goal posts, affecting game momentum and player safety.

For what it's worth, Graham responded to the rule on Twitter. "I guess I'll have to lead the @nfl in penalties next year! #funpolice"

And finally. ... According to Profootballtalk.com's Darin Gantt, officials monitoring players taunting each other has been in the league’s rule book, as a point of emphasis.

It’s now moving from the back of the book to the front of the book.

“We’re going to raise the standard on the field,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said.

Fisher, speaking for the league’s competition committee, said that the NCAA had also asked the league to crack down on taunting, to prevent a trickling down through all levels of football.

As such, the league’s going to crack down on taunting.

The new emphasis adds one more thing for officials to worry about on the field, but Fisher was adamant that things were moving down the wrong road. With commissioner Roger Goodell opening the meetings with an emphasis on “respect,” it’s hardly a surprise.

But it’s clear they want things to change.