The NFL Competition Committee outlawed chop blocks as one of seven rule changes approved on Tuesday at the annual owners’ meetings at Boca Raton, Fla.
The decision to make all types of chop blocks illegal is sure to please defensive players, who would often get blocked low while already engaged with another offensive player up high.
The committee also approved a proposal that permanently leaves extra-point attempts at the 15-yard line. Point-after attempts were at the 15 on a tentative basis last season.
Other rules proposal that passed include:
–Permitting offensive and defensive play callers on the coaching staffs to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they are on the field or in the coaches’ booth.
–Expanding the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground.
–Making it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call a timeout when it is not permitted to do so.
–Eliminating the five-yard penalty for an eligible receiver illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself inbounds, and makes it a loss of down.
–Eliminating multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession.
The Competition Committee will be analyzing more proposed rule changes on Wednesday.