Inception: c1993
Rule originally designed to stop: Peter Anderson from getting angry
Quite simply, the Diver's Prerogative Rule states that if a defender "lays out" for a tag, they may claim a legal tag, even if it is highly doubtful that a two-handed tag was made.
Remember, the fingertips can feel things that a foot with a shoe on it can not.
Rushing Rules
Inception: c1973, modified weekly
Rule originally designed to stop: people who wanted to play real football
Here are the foundations. The rusher and all other defensive players:
1) must wait 3 seconds before crossing the line of scrimmage.
2) may blitz (not count) once per set of downs.
Here are the subsections. The rusher:
1) must count out loud, unless blitzing.
2) may not fake a blitz (any movement that makes the quarterback think there is a blitz counts as a fake).
3) may not blitz if someone else is counting.
4) must start his rush from a complete standstill at the LOS.
5) may "delay" blitz by waiting a second before crossing the LOS but may not count.
Rules we've considered and reason for not implementing:
| Rule | Reason |
|---|---|
| Have someone with a timer and horn on the sideline | Not enough players to have someone on the sideline |
| Have someone pound a drum to a count of 3 | see above |
| Have rusher start 10 yards from the line of scrimmage, letting them run to the QB immediately, to make the fast count impossible | Makes collisions with little people too likely. |
The Bobble Rule
Inception: c1976
Rule originally designed to stop: Tom Stockwell
What happened: Tom Stockwell tossed the ball into the air just before he was tagged. After the tag, he caught the ball and ran into the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown. Since he, technically, did not have possession of the ball when tagged, he claimed not to have been tagged.
Resolution and Rule Creation: The Bobble rule, unlike many modern rules which take weeks to months to be implemented, was imposed immediately and Stockwell was marked down on the spot of the tag. The rule simply states that any person, once making contact with the ball, can be tagged at any time after that initial contact whether or not the ball is in that player's possession at the time of the actual tag.
Caveats: The rule has not been tested on a player tagged on a ball tipped to another player.
