CFL implements new rules meant to boost offence following low-scoring 2021 campaign

CFL defensive co-ordinators will have much more to contend with this season.

The CFL will move its hashmarks closer to the centre of the field and allow teams to take the ball at the 40-yard line following a successful field goal or single in 2022. The moves highlight rules changes recently approved by the league's board of governors.

"It's about improving game flow," CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said Wednesday. "It's about limiting the number of two-and-outs.

"Fans don't want to see our players running on and off the field in exchanging punts. They want to see our offences on the field, they want to see great running and passing plays. I think we're going to see that this will definitely help in that area."

The league returned to the field last season after skipping the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But many cited a drop-off in the level of play as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (23 offensive points per game) were the league's top-scoring team and Montreal Alouettes (371.8 yards per game) boasted the top-gaining offence.

This year, the CFL will move its hashmarks closer to the centre of the field (28 yards from the nearest sideline rather than 24). That means they'll be nine yards apart rather than 17. Since all plays start with the ball between the hashmarks, the change will make more of the field available for offences.

"For me, it goes back months listening to some of our GMs and coaches explain this," Ambrosie said. "Here's what they say: When you're on the left hash, there is no coach that wants that ball thrown to the right sideline because it's just too far and that ball is going to be in the air a long time.

"What this does now is make the entire field part of an offence's canvas. When one of the