Jackson Free Press

The NFL owners recently approved two new rule changes that will be one-year test rules next season. Both were highly controversial, one among coaches and the other among players.

First, here's a look at minor rule changes.

All chop blocks, which are when one offensive player is blocking a defensive player high, and another hits the same defensive player low, are now illegal in the NFL.

Defensive players are at risk to major injuries because of the blocks and in most cases, the NFL already outlawed them. Offensive linemen can still cut block (a one-on-one low block) a defensive player.

Now, just one season after the NFL experimented with the idea, points-after-touchdown kicks ("extra points") are permanent from the 15-yard line. There were 71 misses on extra-point kicks last season with the new rule change, and 27 teams missed an extra point. The defense is still allowed to try and score on missed extra points as well.

The owners also tweaked the horse-collar rule. Now, it is a horse-collar penalty to take a player down by the nameplate or above to make a tackle. Again, this is a player safety rule, but it will have some effect on games next season.

Other changes include:

Eliminating the five-yard penalty for illegal touching after a player goes out of bounds and reestablishes himself inbounds. Now, it is just a loss of down.

Coaches can use the coach-to-player radio system whether they are on the sideline or in the coaches booth.

Teams will receive a delay of game penalty if they try to call a timeout when they aren’t allowed to.

Eliminating multiple spots of enforcement on double fouls after a change of possession.

Teams now don’t have to designate which player will return from short-term injured reserve, although teams can still only bring back one player each season from IR.

Now, here's some information on the controversial rule changes:

First, players or coaches can be ejected from a game after two personal foul penalties. Players and coaches met this rule with resistance, with coaches fearing that players would bait others into penalties.

Only certain types of personal foul penalties will qualify for the ejection. Throwing a punch, forearm or kicking an opponent, if contact is made or not, will be part of the new ejection rule.

Using abusive, threatening or insulting language to an opponent, official, teammates or league officials or using baiting or taunting acts or words to foster ill will between teams can now lead to an ejection with two fouls.

While coaches or players won’t like the ejection rule, it isn’t likely to cause many, if any, ejections. A similar rule exists in college football but rarely comes into play as far as ejections go during games.

The biggest rule change that will affect every game is the new kickoff rule. Now, touchbacks after kickoffs will come out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20-yard line.

An increase in injuries on kickoffs last season led to this rule change. There could be several different ways this new rule could affect games.

Coaches who oppose this rule fear it will lead to more injuries, because teams will try to make their kickoffs shorter to force returns. One push-back on this idea is that aiming kickoffs isn’t easy. (If it was, no kicker would have missed any extra points last season.)

Kickers who miss-hit the ball could also end up kicking the ball out of bounds, which give return teams a nice starting field position. (Kickoffs that go out-of-bounds are placed on the receiving teams 40 yard line.) Also, a penalty on the kicking team could end up with a re-kick that gives the offense a chance at a better return against a tired kickoff coverage unit.

It's also possible that the new touchback rule will lead to more scores.

Picture this scenario, particularly late in a game: A team takes over at its 25-yard line after a touchback. That team would only need a 50-yard drive to reach its opponent's 25-yard line. If the drive stalls, teams would have the choice of kicking a 42-yard field goal.

Under the old rule, a 50-yard drive after a touchback from the 20-yard line led to a drive reaching the 30-yard line. If that drive stalled, a team would have a choice to kick a 47-yard field goal.

You wouldn’t think that five yards would make difference, but NFL coaches are generally pretty conservative. Most would rather punt than miss a long field goal, giving their opponent good field position.

Coaches who do like to gamble from time to time, such as New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, could lead to them trying the shorter 42-yard field goal. This could also lead to more scoring late in games when teams are down two scores at 10 or less points and need a field goal. Some teams might take the 42-yard field goal and go for the touchdown later.

A shorter field normally leads to increases in scores, and while it might be a slight uptick in scoring, it should be an uptick nonetheless. Touchbacks off turnovers or punts will still start from the 20-yard line.

Both the ejection penalty and touchback rule will be revisited at next year’s meetings like the PAT rule was this year.