Quicker, cleaner CFL

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This article was published 10/04/2015 (4027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The game will be faster, and there’s going to be a whole lot less clutching and grabbing.

But concerns that a series of rule changes for the upcoming 2015 CFL season are going to lead to a track meet in which offensive scoring soars are overblown, says the Winnipeg man in charge of enforcing those changes.

“We hope it does lead to more scoring, but I don’t think you’re going to see massive shootouts,” CFL vice-president of officiating Glen Johnson said Thursday afternoon at Investors Group Field during a briefing with reporters on the new rules.

“I don’t think it will be dramatic. What I think you will see is the skill of the players shine through more than it has in the past. I think you will see the athleticism of the receiver and the defensive back shine through more. There will be less clutching and grabbing and less restricting of guys being able to run.”

The CFL’s board of governors on Wednesday approved a total of seven rule changes, including longer single-point converts, shorter two-point converts and some new special-teams rules aimed at cutting down on the number of illegal-block and no-yards penalties and giving returners more room to run.

But the biggest change is a new moratorium on any contact between a receiver and defensive back more than five yards from the line of scrimmage. Players on both sides of that equation have taken to social media in recent weeks predicting the rule change is going to lead to offensive fireworks this season as receivers — who in the CFL already have the huge advantage of a running start — roam free through CFL secondaries.

Johnson said defensive backs will learn to adapt, but he did agree the new rule will undoubtedly lead to a spike in illegal-contact penalties early in the 2015 season.

“That’s a likely outcome. I wouldn’t use the word dramatic, but yeah, I would say we can expect there will be an increase in penalties as they relate to illegal contact as we all adapt to the change.”

While the new no-contact rule will be strictly enforced, Johnson said there will be a caveat carved out for what is called “hand-fighting” between receivers and defensive backs — a routine occurrence on passing plays where receivers and DBs jostle one another without actually impeding either player’s progress or altering their course.

The rule changes — both because of their large number and the dramatic nature of some of them — have prompted some criticism the league is overreacting to a dramatic drop in scoring last season many think was a one-year blip.

Points per game dropped 13 per cent, and offensive scoring per game dropped 23 per cent in 2014, and Johnson said there’s no question the league wants to put more offensive punch back in the game. But Johnson, who is in his second season as the head of CFL officiating, rejected the idea the league is overreacting to what happened last year. “These are not knee-jerk reactions, and I think it’s really important for people to understand that,” said Johnson. “Many of these (changes) have been on the burner for some time. It’s not like, ‘Oh my goodness, our game is in trouble and we need to make some really quick changes.’

“These are really well thought-through, they happened over years, and they’re really about making what is a great game even better.”

In addition to the rule changes, Johnson said a series of other changes is also being implemented aimed at speeding up the game, including wiring officiating crews with headsets to allow them to speak to each other without having to gather on the field and letting the head official converse with the video-review officials without going to the sideline.

Johnson said the league will also co-operate more closely with TSN so some video reviews will take place while the game is in commercial break.

Johnson said his office will also produce weekly videos this season, highlighting particular plays from the previous week’s action and explaining to fans why calls were or weren’t made.

“I think we need to be more transparent and inclusive to keep people engaged,” said Johnson.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek