Thursday 22 March 2018 12:34, UK
After multiple controversies in recent seasons, the NFL appears ready to make changes to its rules about what is and is not a catch.
On Wednesday, Al Riveron, the NFL's senior vice president of officiating, said the league's competition committee will recommend simplifying the language of the catch rule.
Amongst the usual raft of proposed changes that will be presented next week at the league meeting are the proposed rules defining a catch.
The proposed rule modification is designed to eliminate controversy over the going-to-the-ground aspect of several disputed catches in big games over the years, including Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James' overturned touchdown against the New England Patriots last season.
"Catch/no catch is at the top of everyone's minds."
Riveron said this week the league had been examining footage of multiple plays to help shape the new catch rule.
Also on the agenda for a trio of teams is asking the NFL to schedule them for fewer early starts in regular-season road games - starting with the upcoming 2018 season.
A report from MMQB.com says the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals are behind a proposal that would limit teams to three games per season "with a scheduled kickoff time prior to 1:00 p.m. in the time zone of their home stadium (without consent)."
Instead, teams coming to the Eastern or Central time zones would play more of their away games in the 4:05pm ET or 4:25pm ET slots.
The three teams seeking the change were a combined 5-10 last season in road games that kicked off at 1pm ET, which feels like a 10am game to them.
As noted by CBS Sports, the Oakland Raiders might have the biggest issue with early starts. There was a stretch from 2009-15 in which the Raiders lost 15 straight early games - they were 1-2 last season.
The LA Rams (4-1) were the only western team to have a winning record in early starts in 2017. The Denver Broncos, who are in the Mountain time zone were 0-4.
NFL owners will consider the request, along with the catch role and a host of other proposals at their meetings next week in Orlando where it will take 24 of 32 teams voting in favour to allow a motion to pass.
