Modified rules, field size casualties of major CFL revamp League changes made without consulting players, coaches By: Jeff Hamilton Posted: 6:27 PM CDT Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

The Canadian Football League didn’t just announce a few tweaks to its rulebook on Monday, it sent a shockwave through its very foundation.

After hours of speculation and a palpable buzz that had many fans fearing the worst — namely a transition to the American game — commissioner Stewart Johnston unveiled a series of rule changes that will reshape the sport for generations to come. The message from the league, and its Board of Governors who unanimously supported the changes, was that the status quo was no longer acceptable.

But the question on the mind of every fan remains: is this new vision a way to save a struggling league and make the game more exciting, or is it a slow march toward Americanization? Or both?

While some changes are coming in 2026, the most significant modifications won’t take effect until 2027 — a phased approach the league says will allow teams and stadiums time for structural alterations.

By next season, the rouge — a uniquely Canadian rule — will be modified. A single point will no longer be awarded for a missed field goal or a punt that goes wide or through the back of the end zone untouched by a returner.

Additionally, the game will feature an automatic 35-second play clock to eliminate inconsistent timing, and all teams will be required to have their benches on opposite sides of the field. As it currently stands, nearly half of the league’s fields have shared sidelines, a layout that can make substitutions difficult as players run to and from the play.

More structural changes will come the following year, giving teams enough time to cover the logistics of construction and make additional renovations to their buildings if desired, such as additional seating.

These changes include moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone, a decision the league argued would remove an obstruction and give quarterbacks more options to target the middle of the end zone. The field will also be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards — effectively eliminating the 55-yard line — and the end zones will be changed from 20 yards to 15. The 65-yard width will be maintained.

The CFL said the moves are designed to deliver more entertainment, with the primary focus on increasing touchdowns. Johnston projects that by moving the goalposts and shortening the field, there will be a 10 per cent increase in touchdowns, meaning approximately 60 more touchdowns overall each year.

“This is a clear step forward in the evolution of our game, not only in how it’s played, but also in how it’s enjoyed,” Johnston said. “It is important to note that this package of changes was approved unanimously by the CFL’s Lead Governors, which includes team owners and chairs, and I want to recognize their boldness and decisive action.”

He added: “They understand that we can and must advance our game, not by abandoning what makes it so great and unique, but by building upon our game’s legacy to make it more exciting, more entertaining and better for our fans.”

“It’s about just drilling another set of holes for the goalposts … We move goalposts all the time for soccer, so it’s not a big, huge fundamental change for us.”

But in a city like Winnipeg, where CFL traditionalists are found in abundance and any talk of change is met with skepticism, the response to these moves is sure to be mixed.

The mood from Bombers front office, though, was one of immediate support.

Speaking after the announcement, president and CEO Wade Miller — a former Bombers player and self-described traditionalist — hit the same league talking notes, describing the changes as a positive and necessary “evolution of our game.”

“You’ve seen this happen in other leagues, like Major League Baseball, with the pitcher’s time clock, and it’s really made a big difference,” Miller noted. “It’s about creating innovation and keeping with our tradition.”

Without saying the words, Miller strongly hinted at the league taking itself more seriously, noting the high level of professionalism around the press conference — which took place at the swanky X Hotel in Toronto — the secrecy behind the announcement and the overall rollout of the plan, including a high-quality produced video that outlined all the new rules and why.

Miller emphasized that while the changes may seem drastic at first blush, they were based on strong data and were fully approved by the league’s leadership. He did note that consultation with coaches and players did not occur, and that the rules were changed without their knowledge.

For Miller, a key part of the appeal was that the changes were not a fundamental departure from the Canadian game’s identity, but rather a strategic improvement.

“Tell me where there’s something really offensive in this,” Miller said, noting the changes kept “the Canadiana of the game” intact, such as preserving 12 players a side, three downs and the rouge — albeit modified — among other things. He added his influential voice to the many benefits behind the rule changes, which Miller agreed should “increase scoring, increase decision-making that has to be done by coaches… all very positive.”

When asked about the structural changes required for Princess Auto Stadium, the costs of which will fall on each club, Miller was equally reassuring, downplaying the money and effort that would require. He said there were no plans to add additional seating at this point but that it could be explored in the future after going over their potential stadium needs.

“It’s about just drilling another set of holes for the goalposts,” Miller said. “We move goalposts all the time for soccer, so it’s not a big, huge fundamental change for us.”

Not everyone agreed with the new rules being a positive development for the CFL, including some choice words from Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke.

Rourke, who is considered one of the faces of the CFL and who spent time in the NFL as early as last season, did not mince words, calling the changes “garbage.”

“I went down to the States, proud of the game, being able to explain the differences,” Rourke told reporters. “The waggle, the yard, the extra person, these are things that are unique about the game, that make it different, and there’s… the rule changes — to me — make it sound like we want to be like the league down south.”

While Johnston was adamant that these changes were not made because of any interest to closer align with the American or NFL game, many are likely to take that with a grain of salt. Common sense suggests otherwise.

It was no secret that every time a play was stopped owing to the ball hitting the goalpost or a game was decided on a rouge from a missed field goal, it created a viral moment for the league that had most Americans laughing at the CFL game. Many football fans from south of the border struggled to understand the rules, and those that did get it often felt it was enough to turn away for good, classifying the rule as foreign and foolish.

It also enraged some Canadian fans, especially those who don’t care for the traditional rules and shared a sense of second-hand embarrassment for the product every time a unique play like that occurred. For every die-hard CFL fan who argued these rules were a unique part of the game, you had others who called it outdated and wondered when it was going to change.

It’s also fair to suggest the Canadian game has never resembled the American game more than it does today. It should be noted here that the CFL’s television deal with CBS Sports Network in the U.S. expires after the 2026 season.

That’s left some worried that it’s only a matter of time before a full U.S. takeover. Given the recent rule changes, how hard would it be to change from three to four downs? Or from 12 to 11 players a side?

The fact is the league has never been in a better position to transform to the U.S. format. And with the structural changes being put in place by 2027, the physical restraints that were once believed to be its biggest obstacle to a full transition are now gone.

Miller said there were no hidden agendas with these new changes, but he stopped short of guaranteeing there wouldn’t be more significant moves made in the future.

“This is what it is for right now and, absolutely, this is the Canadian game,” Miller said. “We’ll see where things go, and we always got to be looking for opportunities to grow this game.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca