Go Als Go.com

Normally, I’d consider myself a CFL traditionalist, someone who’d rather leave the game alone than tweak it each year because of statistical trends or because of a few high-profile plays that call attention to referees’ interpretations of traditional rules. But when the league sent out its list of proposed rule changes for the 2011 season last week, I couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it.

More leeway in determining incomplete passes from fumbles in the pocket? Check. A chance to award possession of the ball to the defence if a pass downfield is determined to be a catch and fumble upon review? Check. More protection for defensive players on shots at or below the knees during downfield pass plays? Check. Tighter governance of players running out of bounds during kick returns? Check. Penalty yards for out-of-bounds punts between the 20-yard lines? Check.

As tempting as it would be to put my head in the sand and say complaints levied in the media and by fans across the country since the inception of replay reviews were a perception/reality problem, the fact is perception=reality when you’re talking about how referees handle “bang-bang” plays. No amount of high definition footage can take fan bias out of those kinds of crucial calls, and clarifying rules regarding the officiating and review of those plays is a definite move in the right direction.

PUTTING THE “BANG” IN BANG-BANG

To my mind, the most frustrating part of any “BANG-BANG” call comes whenever replay clearly shows a QB or receiver has fumbled and the defence has recovered, but possession cannot be awarded to the defence because the play was originally called an incomplete pass.

Last week’s recommendation from the CFL Rules Committee to give referees the power both to overturn incomplete pass calls and to award possession to the defence in cases of clear recovery really provides replay some teeth in officiating instant-impact plays in the pocket and downfield.

More than anything, this change offers referees the chance to get calls right no matter what the original call was, an no matter when the whistle may have blown.

SAFETY FIRST

As much as I enjoyed watching the Alouettes attack the perimeter of the Roughriders’ defence with slip screens and halfback releases in the second half of last year’s Grey Cup, I have to admit to flinching a good bit at some of the dangerous blocks that happened downfield on the back side of some of those misdirection plays.

Whenever Als’ receivers cut back into the field to slice through the Riders’ defence against the grain, lower-body blocks were rampant. Neither the fact that these were legal blocks then nor the fact that my team was gaining big-time yards off these plays could change the fact that injuries were being risked every time a blocker went low on his opponent.

If the Rules Committee has its way this year, those lower-body, downfield blocks will be a thing of the past on passes beyond the line of scrimmage. With blocks below the waist already deemed illegal on kick returns to ensure player safety, I really think it’s a great idea to offer similar protection on pass plays. Even if it means a few less yards on screen plays!

KEEP IT ON THE FIELD, PLEASE

A few seasons ago, the league decided to give the receiving team the option of forcing a re-kick with a 10-yard penalty for every ball kicked out of bounds between the 20-yard lines should be a serious detriment to kicking away from returners.

Unfortunately, since the rule dictated either a re-kick with penalty or taking the ball where it goes out of bounds, the act of punting out of bounds too often accomplished its goal—the avoidance of kicking to a returner—without real punishment.

The Rules Committee’s proposal to add the option of taking the 10-yard penalty from the spot the ball went out of bounds rectifies the situation completely, to the point where the rule might actually scare teams into putting the ball into the hands of some of the game’s most exciting athletes.

And speaking of kick returns, the house cleaning the committee did to clarify the rule regarding players on kick coverage who get pushed out of bounds being eligible to return to the field and make plays will go a long way towards cleaning up penalty calls on returns.

UP NEXT

Since the smoke’s clearing from this year’s E-camp and the draft is just around the corner, I’ll take a look at which prospects are climbing up draft boards around the league.

If I’m feeling lucky, I might even try my hand at a first-round mock.