CFL board approves long convert/short 2pt, PI change, but not 3pt or OPI review

The detailed changes suggested by the CFL's rules committee have now been examined by the league's board of governors, and the verdict is in. The board elected to approve the majority of the changes, moving one-point conversion attempts back to the 32-yard line while moving two-point attempts up to the three-yard line, prohibiting defensive and offensive players from creating contact that  "impedes or redirects an opponent beyond five yards" of the line of scrimmage, amending punts and kicks so interior linemen can't head downfield until the ball is kicked and no-yards penalties are now tacked on to the end of the return, and allowing the game to start more quickly if the offence indicates they want to play up-tempo. However, suggested changes about making offensive pass interference reviewable and testing a three-point conversion opportunity were nixed. The rules the board approved seem like positive changes from this standpoint, but leaving the reviewable offensive pass interference change out is curious. 

The change here that may alter the game most is the different rules on permissible downfield contact. The CFL's going closer to the current NFL rules here, prohibiting significant contact beyond five yards, which should be an advantage for skilled receivers. It isn't necessarily a huge blow for defences, though; it just means that quick, athletic defenders and receivers will be prioritized over big bruisers. There will still be plenty of opportunities for big hits downfield; defenders will just have to time them more carefully and wait until the receiver's trying to make the catch. We'll see how it plays out, but this has some merit; athleticism should be prized over brute strength before the ball arrives. It's going to be an adjustment for teams, but this could lead to more impressive catches and less incompletions; moreover, teams that adapt to it well on defence should still be able to do fine there.

The change that will look the most different is what's happening with converts. Moving one-point kicks back to the 32-yard line makes them less automatic and more interesting, especially if the wind's a factor. Moreover, moving the two-point conversion line up should entice coaches to go for it more, and that can lead to some fun late-game situations and potentially more big comebacks. This does depend on the coaches electing to be bold, though. The numbers have suggested for a while that CFL coaches were too conservative even under the old, unfavourable system. Will this provide the push they need to go for two more often? We'll have to wait and see.

It's not particularly surprising that the league turned down the bold three-point conversion gamble, as that one might need some more fine-tuning (and the current convert changes are probably enough to try for a while), but it is odd to see the request to make offensive pass interference reviewable denied. We don't know the board's reasoning here, but it could be that they don't want to slow down the game more. Making defensive pass interference reviewable (which first happened ahead of last season) has been positive, though; it generally hasn't taken too much time, and it's led to the officials getting more calls right, allowing games to be decided by the players and coaches rather than the officiating crew. Leaving offensive pass interference out of that seemed like an odd omission last year, and it's now one they've refused to correct. This likely won't come up much, as offensive pass interference isn't frequently called (and there isn't often a compelling case for it when it isn't called), but it does seem like an unusual loophole to leave. We'll see how that plays out, and if it's something the board will have to address further down the road.