Rule Elimination Proposals

[Charlie-49ers]

I would like interested parties to comment on the following two rules that I believe would enhance the game if changed!

R05: Backwards movements on a running Play

1. No eligible receiver other than the ball carrier or QB may have movement paths that go back behind the LOS.
This rule is contrary to the current NFL gameplay. Such movement is used for fakes and WR end runs, such as Brock Purdy/Debo Sanders of the 49ers.  I suggest eliminating this rule and allowing such movement.

P05: Throw Fakes

1. Any skilled Player at or past the LOS (RBs/WRs/TEs) may not throw a Fake within 5 yards of any other skilled Player.

I believe it is time to reconsider this restriction!  The restriction dates back to day one of the PNFL.  It has never been proven that this is an AI Buster as originally thought.  I have tested this numerous times over the seasons and rarely ever see an effect, but it does happen. I would like to open this up for Custom plays, and if we see an abundance of AI Buster situations in the Friday Night videos, we can always delete them.

I would appreciate your well-thought-out responses.

[Jerry-Redskins]

Could care less about the first other than the defense logic may have issues, but the second happens often and has been a rule in every league that attempted any rules due to the AI bust nature. No interest in a roll of the dice fake fest on all plays. It clearly freezes other players. Not sure how one player running a fake on his defender freezing the other nearby ones makes since to be allowed no matter how often it occurs.

[Dean-Atlanta]

I see no problem with deleting the first one.

The rule on fakes, even the recent efforts to deliberately create plays where WR1 fakes near WR2 in order to freeze the defender covering WR2 whad barely any effect when compared to plays that do not fake that closely to another receiver. The degree to which those defenders in barely existent and the freezing done by the still legal and commonly used "freeze plays" is much much worse and leads to far more big plays.

[Steve-Buffalo Bills]

I'm in favor of less rules. Kill both rules. They are for a time long past. Current defenses and current player ratings can handle it. Maybe it will make things less vanilla like the T-lobs did.

I would also like to allow fakes in the backfield to be executed only by RBs who are the recipient of a fake handoff by the QB on a pass play.

[Matt-Jacksonville]

I'm against both being removed for similar reasons to what Jerry gave. We may not like rules, but game limitations force us to have rules like these to prevent AI busters and exploits.

[Donovon-Steelers]

I agree with Charlie and Steve; both can be eliminated. They open things up a bit, may cause some new, legal effective plays (tired of seeing the same plays used over and over) and there's no downside, because if anything exploited is created, it's easily removed.

[Charlie-49ers]

I'm against both being removed for similar reasons to what Jerry gave. We may not like rules, but game limitations force us to have rules like these to prevent AI busters and exploits.

The backward movement on a running play was an initial rule, and the NFL didn't use it 25 years ago! All the NFL teams use it today, and there are no AI Buster aspects to it. Playing ORX8rmT2 shifts a WR into the backfield and becomes the ball carrier. By eliminating the rule, you allow the WR to sweep behind the QB and take the handoff. Alternatively, the QB can fake the handoff to the WR, handoff to an RB, or throw a pass. There is no downside to this one, only possibilities for some new innovative plays that might (emphasis added) work!

[Charlie-49ers]

Any new Throw Fake plays would be restricted to only one player (e.g., you could not have a cluster of receivers converging and more than one, or all could not throw fakes. One receiver, one fake, that's it. If the plays become abusive, we delete them and default to the old rule.