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NFL owners will vote on proposed rules changes for the 2020 season next Thursday.

Included in the proposal is preseason implementation of a sky judge, one of nine formal rules all 32 teams will vote on during league meetings next week.



The May 28 owners meetings will be held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Washington Post, the “competition committee’s formal recommendation to NFL owners that they ratify sky judge or technology adviser (or some blend of the two) as a preseason experiment greatly improves the chances that will be the outcome when the owners vote next Thursday.”

Owners resisted the notion of the sky judge in previous iterations of the proposal. The Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers each proposed that the skyjudge and technology adviser be implemented for the regular season.

Other rules on the table are an alternative to the onside kick, which would give the kicking team the option — twice per game, maximum — of attempting a 4th-and-15 set play from its own 25-yardline. That proposal, made by the Philadelphia Eagles, has been gaining support, according to multiple reports.

The NFL has already punted the one-year trial with defensive pass interference replay after infractions were rarely overturned despite visual evidence.

Other possible rules changes

• Adding all placekicks and any scoring plays or turnovers negated by penalty as the instances calling for automatic booth review.
• Adding kick returners to players who can be considered “defenseless” for the sake of penalties for contact with a defenseless player. This primarily applies to fielding punts and kickoffs without a chance to react to the approaching coverage units.
• Amending a rule that teams have used to manipulate the game clock with multiple dead-ball fouls while the clock is running.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)