Despite limited proposals, the owners can change…
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The official list of proposals from the Competition Committee and the various teams is as thin as it’s ever been. Still, regardless of the number of proposed changes, or lack thereof, the owners always have the power to do whatever they want, once the meetings begin.
And it’s not just some theoretical Captain Obvious-style observation. Four years ago, the owners had 10 formal proposals to consider. During the meetings, it was announced that Proposal No. 11 had become an official rule. It prohibits lowering the helmet to initiate contact with an opponent.
The whole story of how the rule came to be appears in Playmakers — currently available at 33-percent off. While unprecedented at the time, it’s now officially precedented. Which means that, every time the owners get together to consider changes to the rules, there’s a chance that someone within the broader power structure has a secret proposal that will get rammed through without the media (or pretty much anyone) knowing that it’s even under consideration.
The owners are bound by none of the proposals, or lack thereof, from the Competition Committee or the teams. They have the power to do whatever they choose, as long as at least 24 of them choose to do it.
It’s a possibility to keep in mind as the meetings commence. Something unexpected can happen because, four years ago, something definitely did.
Despite limited proposals, the owners can change any rules they want this week
