NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington tweeted Wednesday morning that the NFL passed the ejection rule, along with the touchback rule for one year as an experiment, after it appeared that the NFL owners would turn down the proposal.
The happy medium appeared to be instituting the rule as an experiment for a season.
The ejection rule passes, two sources say. So did touchback rule for one year.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 23, 2016
The ejection rule will require referees to eject players after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Odell Beckham Jr.’s game against the Panthers in which he received three personal fouls is one popular example of the adoption of the rule.
Darlington added the key distinction between a simple personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty:
Unsportsmanlike conduct — two of which now get you ejected — occur as a result of kicking /punching a player, taunting, abusive language.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) March 23, 2016
He adds that many of the “high profile” cases from last year, including Odell Beckham Jr., and Vontaze Burfict would not have merited ejection. However, he feels that Brian Orakpo would have been ejected had the new rule been imposed.
Richard Sherman was very outspoken over the ejection rule, and slammed Roger Goodell’s support for it. “I think it’s foolish, but it sounds like something somebody who’s never played the game would say, something they would suggest, because he doesn’t understand,” Sherman said via ESPN. “He’s just a face, he’s just a suit. He’s never set foot on the field and understood how you can get a personal foul.”
The touchback rule is pretty simple, the ball will now be placed at the 25 yard line as opposed to the 20.
The rules are under the same scope that the extra point was for last season, and since it was deemed successful, was given permanent status during the offseason.
