The competition committee did endorse two potential rule changes for owners to vote on at next month’s owners meetings. First, the committee proposed to “expand defenseless player protection to a kickoff or punt returner who is in possession of the ball but who has not had time to avoid or ward off the impending contact of an opponent.” The other potential change would “prevent teams from manipulating the game clock by committing multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running.”
This rule means that if a punt returner is too stupid to call for a fair catch a defender will either have to try to stop dead in his tracks or run by the returner to avoid hitting him, thus punishing a player for excellent execution covering a punt.
This rule means that if a punt returner is too stupid to call for a fair catch a defender will either have to try to stop dead in his tracks or run by the returner to avoid hitting him, thus punishing a player for excellent execution covering a punt.