Comments on proposed rule changes

It’s been 4 days since the CFL announced some rule changes for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. If one is to believe social media (and really why wouldn’t you?) the grim reaper is warming up to take a swath at the CFL.  “I’m never going to another game” seems to be a common refrain on the internet with the underlying cause of the pushback being the perception that the move is a foot in the door towards a complete Americanization of the CFL.  That 4-down football can’t be far down the road.  Just for fun though, let’s put this doomsday scenario aside and take at face value the comments of the commissioner, Bombers CEO Wade Miller and others  when they say that the changes are merely a way to make the existing game more exciting, and to increase scoring.  Take the high road so to speak and analyze each rule change independently.

Change #1: Team benches (effective 2026)

Likely the least controversial of the changes this rule would require each team to be on opposite sides of the field.  Kind of a no brainer, really.  I recently attended a game in Ottawa and was surprised to see both teams on the same sideline.  Being a Bomber season ticket holder, I’m used to seeing the teams on opposite sidelines.  I’ll give this rule change 5 stars (out of 5)

Change #2: Modified rouge (effective 2026)

The rational for this rule change is, among other reasons, to ensure games aren’t decided on a missed field goal.  There’s certainly been lots of pressure on the league to address this scenario with the most common refrain being that it “rewards failure”.  Personally, I think the rouge on a missed field goal is actually rewarding a team for gaining enough yardage to get close enough to kick a rouge, but to-may-toes/ to-mah-toes.  I’ll give this rule change 3 stars.

Change #3: 35-Second play clock (effective 2026)

This rule change sees the play clock starting as soon as the previous play ends.  Certainly the league’s rational for this-instilling a sense of urgency in players to progress the game and continue a drive quickly-holds some merit, but I’m concerned about what it means at the end of a game.  Currently, with the 20-second clock, a team leading in the final minute has only 60 seconds of possession time to protect their lead.  Presumably with a 35 second clock they’ll have 105 seconds to protect their lead.  I suspect this will lead to less exciting finishes (unless the final couple of minutes are played with a different set of rules).  I’ll give this rule change 2 stars.

Change #4: Goalposts at back of end zones (effective 2027)

I’m somewhat of a mixed mind on this one.  Certainly not having the goal posts in the way should result in more exciting plays in the endzone and lead to greater player safety . I’m somewhat amazed that receivers don’t run into the goal posts more often (see Cody Fajardo 2019 Western Final).  Furthermore, QBs won’t have to contend with throwing passes around or into the goal posts.  The downside though is that the goal posts at the back of the endzones will eliminate missed field goal returns.  Anyone who watched last weeks Bombers vs. RedBlacks game will know how exciting a missed field goal return can be.  I’ll give this rule change 4 stars.

Change #5: 15-yard end zones and 100-yard fields (effective 2027)

This seems to be the most controversial rule change.  Specifically the move to a 100-yard field is being perceived as a step toward making the CFL the “NFL Jr” league.  While I can see the need for a standardized end zone (many stadiums don’t have a full 20-yard end zone now due to space constraints), I ‘m perplexed at the move to a 100-yard field.  The league’s rational “Encourages more aggressive play-calling on third down with offences starting drives 10 yards closer to the opponent’s end zone and field goals being only 5 yards further, despite the shifted goalposts” makes no sense to me.  If 110 yards is too long then why shorten it just to 100? Why not shorten the filed to 70 yards, or 50 or whatever.  Let’s get every play starting within scoring range so that’s there’s a TD on every drive.  I’ll give this rule change 1 star.

League handling of these changes

The changes – which btw, were approved unanimously by the league Board of Directors, i.e. they’re not just the commissioner’s changes – apparently were done after market research, in-depth football analysis and indirect fan feedback.   It’s this last point that has many longtime CFL traditionalists up in arms.  Indeed, even though I’m a 42-year season ticket holder I sure wasn’t asked my opinion.  Not sure who the league asked or listened to regarding these changes but judging by the outcry against them I’m pretty sure it wasn’t their existing fan base.  On the league’s handling of these changes, I give 0 stars.

Going forward

As stated at the onset of this discussion, whether you take at face value the comments of the league leaders that this is simply away to make the existing game more exciting, or whether you see this as a slippery slope to Americanization of the Canadian game, will likely determine how you view these changes.  Always an optimist I’m going to take at face value the comments of the commissioner when he says that no further changes are being contemplated.  I may be wrong but I believe that a move to 4-down football is nowhere in the cards for the CFL.  Let’s hope so anyway, I’d hate to see how massive a bonfire I’d need to burn all my Bomber gear.

Have a great day and GO BLUE!!