By Greg Frers,
CFL.ca
B.C. Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono, representing the CFL rules committee, made a comment that stuck with me this week. Buono stated that, “to a certain degree the 2006 CFL season needs to be chucked out.” This comment was made just after the announcement of eight new rule changes to the CFL that will come into play in 2007 representing an aggressive attempt by the league office to elevate the excitement of our Canadian game.
This past week, CFL head of officiating George Black and Buono addressed the rule changes that have been implemented in order to bring back scoring opportunities in a season where teams scored 30 percent fewer touchdowns. The changes that were made were appropriate to maximize the opportunity for entertaining football and yet cautious enough to appreciate that the game will take on an evolution of its own without legislated intrusions.
Last season was tough for me to figure out. When you have a Grey Cup game that posts only one touchdown and only three passes longer than 25 yards, I begin to question where the offensive fireworks of the CFL have gone? I took some time this week to crunch through the numbers to get a better perspective of how 2006 stacked up against the past two seasons.
The glaring difference between 2006 and the past two years was that the ability to score touchdowns was down and we did not experience the electrifying kick returns for majors like in past years. In the past two seasons there have been at least four quarterbacks that have thrown for more than 25 touchdowns in a season and yet in 2006 there was not one. Over the 2004 and 2005 seasons there were 22 and 17 kick returns for majors respectively. In 2006 there were only three kick returns that went the distance for a touchdown.
To my surprise, the average offence per game last season was only 32 yards less than the 2004 season when four quarterbacks threw for over 5.000 yards. I was also surprised to find out that although scoring was down, the average points scored per game in 2006 was only three points less than that seen per game over the past two years. Kick returns for majors was down although, the average returns were consistent with past years.
Last season was a tough one to figure out and in any analysis you need to look at trends over time. For this reason we may look back on 2006 and agree with the comment that it was a season that needs to be pushed aside. The bottom line may simply be that offences need to do a better job of capitalizing when they are in a scoring position and receivers will need to be very consistent catching the ball and effective gaining yards after the catch as defences are doing a much better job of minimizing the “big play” and the easy score.
Against the backdrop of this confusing 2006 season, the rule changes in my opinion were very appropriate.
The three rule changes that will have the greatest impact on the 2007 season will be the re-definition of the illegal block penalty back to the old definition that will permit blocking anywhere except from behind, the inability to deliberately kick the ball out of bounds to negate opportunity for a return and the parameters on how and where a quarterback can get hit in the pocket.
Although, we do need to appreciated that long kick returns were less in 2006 because teams now dedicate more hours each week to special team preparation than in past years, there were several opportunities when exciting kick returns were called back because of illegal blocking penalties. The interpretation of the illegal block rule in 2006 made it very difficult to take advantage of the width of the field by setting up sideline returns because if there was a block from the side it was considered a penalty.
The rule changes that effect the kicking game will increase opportunities for there to be a return, and increase the potential for a good return which will offer the offence the ability to work with a shorter field thus increase their probability to score points.
The rule changes that address how the quarterback can be hit will increase the probability of starting quarterbacks to stay healthy. With a healthy quarterback at the helm each team has the best opportunity to score points.
The rule changes now provide appropriate opportunity for offences to score touchdowns. Every industry has ups and downs, and the challenge is to react to situations but not over react. The changes that will be implemented in 2007 will increase the probability that games will be more entertaining and yet cautious enough to maintain the integrity of the game. The challenge is now directly on the offensive coordinators across the league to find ways for their offence to execute when they are in scoring position.
Greg Frers played 10 seasons in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions and has been a panelist on the CFL on CBC since 2003.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
