Rule changes

The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in Phoenix, Arizona during the week of March 25-March 28:

• The instant replay system, used since the 1999 season, was finally made as permanent officiating tool.Previously, it was renewed on a biennial basis.
• The system has also been upgraded to use high-definition technology. However, the systems at Texas Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), RCA Dome (Indianapolis Colts), and Giants Stadium (New York Giants and Jets) will not receive the HDTV updates since those stadiums will be replaced over the next few years. One reason that the technology was improved was that fans with high-definition televisions at home were having better views on replays than the officials and according to Dean Blandino, the NFL's instant replay director "that could have bit us in the rear if we continued [with the old system]." In addition, the amount of time allotted for the referee to review a play was reduced from 90 seconds to one minute.
• After a play is over, players who spike the ball in the field of play, other than in the end zone, will receive a 5-yard penalty.
• Forward passes that unintentionally hit an offensive lineman will no longer be an illegal touching penalty, but deliberate actions are still penalized.
• Roughing-the-passer penalties will not be called on a defender engaged with a quarterback who simply extends his arms and shoves the passer to the ground.
• During situations where crowd noise becomes a problem (when it becomes too loud that it prevents the offensive team from hearing its signals), the offense can no longer ask the referee to reset the play clock.
• It is necessary to have the ball touch the pylon or break the plane above the pylon to count as a touchdown. Previously, a player just had to have some portion of his body over the goal line or pylon to count a touchdown