Penton: Are CFL changes ‘Americanizing’ our game?
By Bruce Penton
It didn’t take new Canadian Football League commissioner Stewart Johnston long to become a household name among football fans north of the border.
Named as commissioner only five months ago, Johnston announced a series of significant logistical and rule changes to the league, some of which will take effect in 2026 and others in 2027.
Among the changes are a reduction in the length of the CFL field from 110 yards to 100 (same as the National Football League), moving the goalposts to the rear of the end zone instead of at the goal line (same as the NFL) and a reduced end zone, from 20 yards to 15 yards (the NFL’s end zones are 10 yards deep).
Another change involves the rouge, a single point unique to the Canadian game. No longer will a single point be awarded for punting the ball through the end zone or by missing a field goal and having the ball sail into the stands. Teams will still get credit for a single point, however, if the punted ball or missed field goal winds up within the boundaries of the end zone, and the returning player is unable to get it back into the field of play.
Some things will reman the same, Johnston said. While he didn’t say the Canadian game’s three-down system is in jeopardy, he didn’t come out and say it was sacrosanct The width of the field will remain 65 yards. And the CFL’s ‘waggle’ rule, allowing a number of players to be in pre-snap motion, won’t be changed. The Canadian game will continue to be 12-on-12, one more than in the U.S.
The moves, said Johnston, will encourage teams to go for touchdowns and not settle for field goals, since the goalposts will be 15 yards deeper. However, teams will be starting closer to their opponent’s end zone simply because the field will be 10 yards shorter. Moving the goalposts, he said, will stop passes from clanking off the uprights instead of falling into the arms of a receiver.
While the moves received general acceptance from many quarters in Canada, not everyone agreed. Quarterback Nathan Rourke of the B.C. Lions was angry, saying they appeared to be ‘Americanizing’ the Canadian game. Rourke, who grew up in Canada and had a taste of U.S.-style football in college and the NFL, called the changes ‘garbage’ and was annoyed that players weren’t consulted before the changes were finalized and announced.
But Johnston says the changes will have positive results. ““This is all about making our great game even more entertaining,” Johnston said in a release. “We are trading field goals for touchdowns, while improving fan experience in stadiums and at home.”
Rourke didn’t back down: “You can’t make adjustments like this and tell me you like football. What we’re moving towards is not Canadian football, the game I grew up loving.”
Rourke’s opinion doesn’t really matter. What counts is how CFL fans accept the changes.
From fark.com: “The NBA takes a brief pause from its DraftKings and FanDuel sponsorship to lament the fact that it had to fire three more players for batting on their own games.”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “A Yankees fan tried to catch a foul tip with his cap, dropped both, but a fan beside him caught the ball and cap together. And I thought a hockey game was the only place you might see a hat trick.”
Another one from fark.com: “Aaron Judge becomes first Yankee since Babe Ruth to put up back-to-back 50-homer seasons. Ruth still has the lead on beers and hot dogs consumed in consecutive seasons, however.”
Ron Green, Jr., of Global Golf Post, on the disgusting display by fans at the Ryder Cup on Long Island: “Civility has lost out to coarseness. Belligerence is 4 up on benevolence..”
Cathal Kelly of the Globe and Mail, on Mark Shapiro’s difficult early days as Toronto Blue Jays’ president: “He asks every free agent on the market to the dance, but they’re all busy washing their hair.”
Comedy guy Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: “Have you seen catches by the Detroit Lions rookie Isaac TeSlaa? They’re electric.”
Rolfsen again:”People are asking if (Blue Jays’ reliever) Jeff Hoffman has earned John Schneider’s trust in October? Are you kidding? I wouldn’t trust him taking my kids out trick or treating.”
Columnist Norman Chad, on his ‘Gambling Mad’ site on X: “I am contractually obligated to make a prediction on the Jets-Dolphins Monday Night game. Okay. I predict that no one in my neighbourhood will watch this dog of a game.”
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald on the recent Monday night game between two winless teams, the Jets and Dolphins: “America will be watching … perhaps in much the same way traffic can’t help but slow to watch two cars that have just wrecked.”
Another one from Chad: “The Falcons lost 30-0 to the Panthers last week. Not scoring against the Panthers is like Ryan Gosling not scoring in a college bar.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca