Open thread: Which NFL rule needs to be changed?

Running through NFL rules that need to be changed for the 2025 season.

NFL officiating has been under the microscope yet again. While I personally think a lot of it is being overblown due to some lame conspiracy that the NFL wants the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, it’s undeniable that officiating could and should be better.

It’s unreasonable to just expect officials to get better. It’s a fast-paced game, and no amount of training or full-time employee designation is going to make them flawless. The NFL has helped mitigate this problem by expanding expedited reviews from an officiating headquarters, but as we have seen this year, that hasn’t erased the league’s issues.

One way to help officiating out is to change the rules in order to lower their impact on the game. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which NFL rule needs to be changed and how would you change it?

My answer: I’ve long been an advocate of capping pass interference penalties at 15 yards. It’s the hardest penalty for refs to call live, and there is no reason there should ever be a 40+ yard penalty. People say that would increase the amount of intentional PIs, and my response to that is twofold: every PI is intentional already, and I don’t care. Player hold to avoid a strip sack. What’s the difference in a player committing PI to avoid a big catch?

But I’ve ranted and raved about that one for a long time to no avail. The new hill I want to die on is to get rid of “automatic first downs,” particularly when it comes on a 5-yard penalty like defensive holding or illegal contact. There is nothing more infuriating than when an offense converts a third-and-20, because of a ticky-tacky, highly-subjective holding call on a defender away from the play. The league is already heavily slanted towards officiating in favor of the offense. There is no need for this.

Oh, and can we stop with the play clock shenanigans? Zero is zero. There should be no gray area. Imagine if the NBA gave players a margin of error for the shot clock. Ridiculous.

Which NFL rule would you change?

Scroll down to the comment section and let us know.