Mike Florio ,
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The NFL has two different ways to make rules. One is open and transparent and culminates in a vote of the owners. The other is the opposite.
Certain revisions, referred to as “back of the book” changes, appear in a report of the Competition Committee. The owners don’t vote, but the rules change.
Here’s one that shows up in the latest version of the NFL rulebook.
Previously, the officials were instructed to ignore any attempt by a team to take a timeout when it was either out of timeouts, or when it was trying to take a second timeout during the same dead-ball period. A penalty was called only if the timeout was inadvertently granted.
Now, the mere request of a timeout when the team is either out of timeouts, or when the team tries to take a second timeout during the same dead-ball period, results in a five-yard penalty for delay of game. Also, if a team tries to call a second timeout during the same dead-ball period, the timeout is charged.
This change wasn’t made in the usual way. While teams were aware of it, the first public evidence appears in the official rules published in advance of a given season.
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