CFL in Talks of Changing the Rules
Right, okay let's get into this. Some people are unaware that Canada has its own football league
(CFL, Canadian Football League) and moreover, people are confused by the current rules set in
place by the governing football body. So, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of them,
compare them to the NFL, and then talk about the new rules.
Current major rules in the CFL
1. 3-downs. A lot of people are taken back by this rule, but it’s really simple 4-1 = 3. Done,
quick math not hard.
2. 12 men as opposed to 11. This means the roster size should and could be bigger if
needed.
3. Rouge - Yeah, this one confuses a lot of people. I’ll hold your hand through this next bit.
In basic terms if the ball is kicked into the Goal Area by an opponent, a rouge is scored.
A rouge is a single point.
An example is, Team A kicks to Team B. A player from Team B attempts to catch
the ball on Team B's 3-yard line, fumbles it and is tackled with the ball in possession in
the Team B Goal Area. RULING — Rouge (ball deemed to have been kicked into Goal
Area by Team A). Also, if a player runs into their own goal line with the ball - point to the
other team.
How does that now compare to the NFL? If I went to someone who knew absolutely nothing
about football and read the rules between the CFL and NFL, I promise you they would assume
the CFL is harder (because it is).
Let’s try this test right now. Guess which league has these
rules (spoiler, it’s obvious):
1. More players on the field.
2. Longer field.
3. Bigger ball.
4. Fewer chances to score so more teamwork is needed.
5. Typically colder games on average.
6. No “Fair Catch Rule” - because wow I can’t believe that’s a thing.
Right, so it’s the CFL. On paper, the CFL should be the harder league; but it’s not. I’m not here
to get into that, I’m here to explain the new rules that are being discussed and why they are
being talked about.
Every year the CFL has a meeting to discuss a lot of different avenues. One of those being,
“How do we break into the American/Toronto/Vancouver market?” Well, the CFL has had a
partnership with Genius Sports since December of 2021 and reports emerged that same week
suggesting the league would undergo a review of its entire operation, including the number of
downs (CFL fans were not happy about this). They feel like the secret to making the CFL
somewhat fun to watch in America, is adding the extra down.
How will that change the game?
It won’t really. I feel like the CFL should try a season of this and
see what it does to their rating. If it works well, then run with it, if not, scrap it.
For those of you interested in getting a little more Football today. Check out the amazing, unedited, not for the faint of heart episode of our podcast with former NFL and CFL player Kelly Butler.
Justen Williams
Pro Sports Podcasters
CFL Analyst
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