NFL owners get rid of 5-yard facemask rule, alter others
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - The coin toss was altered and the playoffs weren't touched. Hate forceouts? They're gone. Afraid of more looks by referees at instant replay? These might be worthwhile.

A busy NFLowners meetings ended Wednesday with a show of hands that made it obvious reseeding the playoffs wasn't such a good idea. So the league's competition committee withdrew the proposal Wednesday after an informal vote sent it "down in flames," according to New York Giants co-owner John Mara.

"The more we can keep tradition," said Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose hand most decidedly did not go up in support of a wild-card team with a better record than a division winner getting a home game in the first playoff round. "There's something to be said about competition at the end of the season, but look at our game against the Giants. Tom Coughlin didn't hold back and we had something to play for.

"I do believe if you win a division, it's good for your fans to know you will have a home game. "To win a division, there is a reward and we wanted to keep that."

The owners did pass several resolutions, including eliminating the forceout on receptions; allowing teams to defer their decision to the second half when winning the opening coin toss; and making field goals and extra points subject to replay review to determine whether the ball passes over the crossbar and through the uprights.

Reviewing field goals was a slam dunk for the owners after a kick by Cleveland's Phil Dawson to tie a game at Baltimore hit the support behind the crossbar, then came back onto the field. Officials got the call correct despite not being allowed to use replay. Now they can.

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher said eliminating the forceout rule was approved unanimously and that it will help officiating. A receiver now must get two feet inbounds unless he actually is carried out of bounds by a defender after catching the ball.

Fisher also noted how strongly deferring the choice on the coin toss, currently the rule in college, was accepted 30-2.

"I was surprised by the support. We'll see how that goes," he said. "It now gives coaches a third option. After talking to a number of coaches, many prefer to start on offense. I think we may see (more) deferrals later in the year with weather considerations."

In addition, any direct snap from center that is untouched by the quarterback now will be a live ball; in the past it was considered a false start and the play was blown dead. The 5-yard penalty for incidental contact with a facemask has been eliminated, with the 15- yarder remaining for any grasping or twisting of the facemask.