The CFL is going to look quite a bit different when the 2027 season kicks off.
Commissioner Stewart Johnston announced Monday that the field聽鈥 traditionally 110 yards聽鈥 will be shortened to 100 yards. The end zones, which have been 20-yards deep, will be reduced to 15. And the goalposts, which have stood on the goal line, will be pushed to the back of the end zone.
The field will remain 65 yards wide.
鈥淲e have cleaned up our canvas,鈥 he says of the changes.
The league鈥檚 belief is that all this will open up the endzone to offences by not having an obstruction in the way which should lead to more touchdowns. Having the goalposts pushed back 15 yards will also encourage teams to try for TDs rather than kicks. And shortening the field will put teams closer to scoring as soon as they receive the ball.
Those are the infrastructure changes. Johnston also announced other tweaks that don鈥檛 require physical adjustments to stadiums that will be in place by the start of next season.
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A 35-second play clock that starts automatically at the end of a play will replace the 20-second clock that currently has to be manually started. This is supposed to make the pace of play faster and more consistent. Players鈥 benches will all be on opposite sides of the field to make substituting easier.
And while the rouge is staying, it鈥檒l look different.
The CFL is making a bold move to evolve the game with a set of changes centred upon entertainment and innovation.
Commissioner Stewart Johnston announced that changes will be instituted over the next two seasons through a phased approach. The most significant modifications鈥
鈥 CFL (@CFL)
鈥淭here will no longer be a point awarded for a missed field goal or for a punt that sails through the back of the end zone or if it rolls out of the rear or sides without being touched by a returner,鈥 Johnston says.
A point will only be awarded if the ball remains inbounds in the end zone and the returning team doesn鈥檛 run it out.
All the changes are part of an evolution of the game, he says.
“We can and must advance our game, not by abandoning what makes it so great and unique but by building upon our game’s legacy to make it more exciting, more entertaining and better for our fans.”
Scott Radley is a columnist with The Hamilton Spectator focusing
on sports and politics. Reach him at sradley@thespec.com.
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