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American Football

The key rule changes for the 2023 NFL season

Philip Marsh
The key rule changes for the 2023 NFL seasonGetty

Every offseason the NFL makes a few tweaks to its rules to help improve the safety, competitiveness and overall viewing experience of the game.

Ahead of the 2023 season, the NFL Competition Committee has once again updated the rules, while dismissing other proposed changes.

DAZN looks at the key changes to the rules you will see through the 2023 season.

The number '0' jersey returns

While this may not be a key change to the rules of the game, it is a further relaxing of the NFL's uniform-related rules.

This rule change, proposed by the Philadelphia Eagles, allows players to use the number 0 jersey once again, while punters and kickers can sport any number between 0-49 and 90-99.

Unfortunately, if you are an offensive or defensive linemen this option will still not be available to you.

Eagles newly acquired running back DeAndre Swift and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley are two examples of players who have already opted for the 0 jersey.

Automatic review of failed fourth downs

Fourth down attempts often come down to a matter of inches, and from 2023 those close calls which are ruled short on the field will be automatically reviewed.

This change, which was proposed by the Houston Texans, will help save teams from using a challenge and speed the game up in the process.

As a result, head coaches are now prohibited from challenging a failed fourth-down conversion.

Successful fourth-down conversions however will still require a coaches challenge to overturn the decision, unless the play is inside the two-minute warning or during overtime.

Tripping now a personal foul

In 2022, if a defensive player was flagged for tripping it resulted in their team losing ten yards and conceding an automatic first down.

However from the start of the 2023 season, tripping is now a personal foul and comes with a 15 yard penalty.

Now deemed a personal foul, players can also now be disqualified for obvious and repeated tripping violations.

There are only been 16 instances of tripping in the last three seasons so it is not a particularly common penalty, and the new punishment may result in ever fewer being called.

Launching now needs just one foot

Previously, players on defence would only be penalised if both feet were used to launch themselves into a tackle with a defenseless player.

This change of definition will result in players having to take more care when making such tackles, which should in turn help to improve player safety.

DAZN will deliver the NFL Game Pass International service from the 2023 season across the world (except the U.S. and China), find out more here.