Canadians who follow CFL somewhat support proposed rule changes, poll suggests

Almost half the people who follow the Canadian Football League are OK with or support proposed changes to league’s rules — but nearly two-thirds say now is not the time to make the CFL more like the U.S. game, a new national poll suggests.

In September, CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston announced a series of rule changes that are to be implemented over the course of the next two years.

In 2026, the league will stop awarding a single point for field goal attempts, punts or kickoffs that sail through or bounce out of the end zone. The league will also implement a 35-second automatic play clock instead of allowing 20 seconds after officials whistle in a play.

In 2027, the league will reduce the size of playing fields from 110 yards to 100 yards, end zones will shrink from 20 yards to 15 yards and goalposts will be moved from the goal line to the back of the end zones.

In a survey of 1,230 Canadian adults conducted by Winnipeg firm Probe Research from Oct. 6 to 14, 30 per cent of respondents were aware of the proposed rule changes.

The poll suggests 11 per cent of Canadians are CFL fans who attend games or watch them on TV, while another 29 per cent watch the occasional game or check the occasional CFL score.

The poll suggests 60 per cent of Canadians do not follow the CFL at all.

Of the casual and engaged fans polled, a full 42 per cent supported or somewhat supported the proposed rule changes, while 20 per cent opposed the changes. Thirty-seven per cent expressed no opinion about the changes.

Among poll respondents, opposition to the proposed rule changes was stronger, at 35 per cent, in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers attract the largest live attendances in the