The league passed the rule allowing a communication device to be installed in the helmet of one defensive player. This would match the device use on offense by quarterbacks. The rule was discussed last year but only had 22 of the 24 votes needed to pass. This year the measure passed 25 for it and 7 teams voting against it. Those teams all have offensive minded coaches and were no surprise for there votes. The teams were Green Bay, Oakland, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington.
Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips was a big supporter of the change saying the spygate affair could have been avoided had the rule past last year. Wade said, "They were filming signals. If you
didn't have any signals, it wouldn't have happened. I'm just happy to
get something passed. That way you don't have to worry about it. People
were putting towels up in front of people. You shouldn't have to play
football that way."
The owners tabled the discussion for a new proposed rule prohibiting players' hair from blocking the nameplate and number on the back of the uniform. They also discussed offensive players being flagged 15 yards for stiff-arms to the face of defenders and no longer allowing a reception on the sideline when a receiver in the air is forced out of bounds by a defender.
