CFL rule changes focus on game speed, offence

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The Canadian Football League has announced a series of rule changes aimed at speeding up the flow of the game and increasing offensive production.

While none of the truly radical innovations the league discussed over the course of the off-season – such as moving from three downs to four – were ultimately adopted, there are many changes that should help the league achieve its goals.

The most significant of those will see the hash marks where the ball is placed moved closer to the centre of the field, 28 yards from the sidelines instead of 24, making them nine yards apart instead of 17.

The objective of moving the hash marks is to allow offences to use more of the field, as the wide-side throw has often been ignored by teams. It may also improve field goal percentages as kickers will be more aligned with the goal posts.

“Our football leaders told us the current hash marks too often had the effect of taking the 12th man on the field – the receiver on the far side – out of the play,” said CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “A throw to him was consistently seen as too risky. And that, in turn, was diluting the impact of our huge field, which is perhaps the most unique thing about Canadian football.”

In addition, the league has determined that all no-yards penalties on punts will be for 15 yards. Previously a no-yard penalty was reduced to five yards if the ball hit the ground before being possessed by the returner.

“This all started with a large CFL and football fan consumer survey that really gave us some great insights into what our fans and future fans are looking for,” said Ambrosie. “That led to some central themes – good game flow and great players making great plays. The theme of