Change is constant, even in football.
The evolution of the sport has seen some extreme changes through the years. All were made with the idea that they would make the game better and were necessary for the evolution of the sport. Remember, the forward pass wasn't always a thing and instant replay wasn't always there to correct an obvious error.
That is unimaginable in the modern era, but all these changes come from somewhere.
Every year, there are proposals to make changes to the rulebook as new ideas come to the forefront. The2025 rule changesbrought a new kickoff and some additional adjustments to overtime and instant replay. While theCleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers brought some proposals to the table, the competition committee also has some topics to discuss.
The group brought five rule change proposals for the 2026 season, including a contingency if the league and its referees can't reach a deal in time for the regular season.
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These proposals are far from drastic and figure to fly mostly under the radar. It certainly won't rise to the level of passion that came with the proposal to ban the "tush push" in 2025.
Here's a look at what rule changes the NFL's competition committee has proposed for the 2026 season:
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WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades
OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)
NFL rule change proposals 2026
There are five playing rule change proposals for the 2026 NFL season. The proposals are expected to be voted on by owners during the Annual League Meeting (March 29-April 1).
The rule change proposals are as follows, according to amemo distributed by the NFL:
To permit the kicking team to declare an onside kick at any time during the game. Current rules only allow for a team to declare an onside kick when trailing.
To eliminate the kicking team's incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line.
To modify the kickoff alignment requirements for the receiving team players in the setup zone.
To allow League personnel to consult with on-field officials when considering disqualifications for both flagrant football acts and non-football acts without being called on the field.
For one year only, to allow the NFL Officiating Department to correct clear and obvious misses made by on-field officials that impact the game, in the event that there is a work stoppage involving the game officials represented by the NFL Referees Association
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL competition committee proposes five rule changes for 2026