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The NFL is constantly reviewing and updating its official rulebook, which dictates how the game is played. There is a specific competition committee whose sole purpose is to protect the integrity of the game, while also making it as fair and entertaining as possible.
Sometimes during the course of an NFL game, something controversial may happen that directly impacts the outlook of a certain rule. Plays like these have been commonly debated for years after the incident occurred.
That being said, here are three plays from NFL history that resulted in an official rule change.
#1 NFL eliminates The Tuck Rule
The Tuck Rule Game is one of the most infamous of all time. It presented a key moment that resulted in the overhaul of a long-standing rule.
During the 2001 NFL Playoffs, Tom Brady's New England Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round.
Late in the fourth quarter, Brady fumbled the ball on a pass play, seemingly clinching a victory for the Raiders. However, after an official review, it was ruled an incomplete pass due to the nature of the Tuck Rule. A rule dictating that any intentional forward movement of a passer's arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he attempts to tuck it back towards their body.
The rule saw to it that the Patriots went on to win the game and eventually the Super Bowl.
During the 2013 offseason, the rule was eliminated by an overwhelming 29-1 vote.
#2 The "Dez Caught It" Rule
Late in the fourth quarter of a 2014 playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, Dez Bryant appeared to have made a spectacular catch near the sideline. It was initially ruled a catch, but overturned after review.
By rule, it was apparently incomplete at the time, but it sure seemed like he caught it. The catch rule stated that a receiver had to have control of the ball with both feet in bounds. After that, the receiver had to have the ball long enough to perform a "football" act.
The vagueness of a concept such as a "football" act is what resulted in the tremendous controversy since Bryant did indeed perform what many would regard a "catch".
The league amended the rule three years later, meaning if the play happened today, it would in fact be a legal catch.
#3 The Roy Williams Horse Collar Tackle
Roy Williams' horse collar tackle isn't necessarily as famous as the first two incidents on this list. Horse collar tackles used to be an extremely dangerous, yet perfectly legal, way for a defender to take down a ball carrier. It was available to all players, but it was really Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams who made it famous. It became his signature move in time.
The horse collar tackle relates to the defender grabbing the inside back of a player's shoulder pads and then yanking them down from behind.
It became a major issue when several players on the receiving end of horse collar tackles started to get injured. Williams injured a number of star players like Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens, among others.
In 2008, the NFL decided to deem it an illegal tackle with a 15-yard penalty and a potential fine attached to it.
