The NFL will have several new rules for the 2023 NFL season, including allowing select players to wear jersey No. 0 and allowing teams to carry an emergency third quarterback without using a game-day roster spot for that QB.
The league will also have flexible Thursday Night Football scheduling this season, and receiving teams will now get the ball at their own 25-yard line following a fair catch on a kickoff.
Those are among the changes that fans will notice the most this year, but they certainly aren’t the only changes. Here is the complete list of the NFL’s rule changes for the 2023 season.
2023 Approved Playing Rules Summary
1. By Philadelphia; amends Rule 5, Section 1, Article 2, to permit the use of zero (“0”) as a jersey numeral; to allow kickers and punters to use any jersey numeral between 0-49 and 90-99.
3. By Los Angeles Chargers; amends Rule 4, Section 6, Article 3 and Section 7, Article 4, to make the adjustment of the play clock following an Instant Replay reversal consistent with other timing rules.
7. By Houston; amends Rule 15, Section 1, Article 2, to expand the Replay Official’s jurisdiction to allow for review on failed fourth down attempts.
10. By Competition Committee; to change the definition of a launch to leaving one or both feet.
11. By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for tripping a personal foul.
12. By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for illegally handing the ball forward consistent with other illegal acts, such as illegal forward passes.
13. By Competition Committee; to make the penalty for illegal punts, drop kicks, or placekicks consistent with other illegal acts, such as illegal forward passes.
15. By Competition Committee; to prevent the offense from benefitting by an extension of the half as a result of their foul.
17. By Competition Committee; to clarify use of the helmet against an opponent by removing the “butt, ram, spear” language from Article 8 and incorporating those actions into Impermissible Use of the Helmet.
2023 Approved Bylaws Summary
3. By Competition Committee; to change the claiming period to Monday for players who are waived on the Friday and Saturday of the last week of the regular season.
4. By Competition Committee; to insert Strength of Victory as the second tiebreaker for awarding contracts.
5. By Competition Committee; to adjust the rules for postseason signings to account for standard elevations rule; to freeze postseason rosters at 4:00 PM New York Time on the Wednesday following the last week of the regular season.
2023 Approved Resolutions Summary
G-2. By Buffalo; to make the regular season and postseason roster transaction deadlines the same; changes the transaction deadline for Saturday night postseason games to 4:00 p.m., New York time on Saturday.
G-3. By Los Angeles Chargers; to provide greater clarity as to a player’s availability for a game.
G-4. By New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota, New York Jets, Philadelphia, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington; to establish one preseason roster reduction date and related procedures.
2023 PLAYING RULE PROPOSAL NO. 16A
For one year only, amend Rule 10, Section 2, Article 4 (Putting Ball in Play After Fair Catch, pg. 42) (new language bold, deleted language struck through):
ARTICLE 4. PUTTING BALL IN PLAY AFTER FAIR CATCH. After a fair catch is made, or is awarded as the result of fair-catch interference, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play by either a:
(a) fair-catch kick (drop kick or placekick without a tee) from the spot of the catch (or the succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties or rule) (3-10 and 11-4-3), or
(b) snap from the spot of the catch (or the succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties), unless a player on the receiving team makes a fair catch of a free kick behind the receiving team’s 25-yard line, in which case the ball will be put in play at the receiving team’s 25-yard line.
Note: A receiver may make or be awarded a fair catch in his end zone. If there is fair-catch interference or illegal contact with the receiver after he has made a fair catch.
Submitted by Competition Committee
Effect: For one year only, puts the ball in play at the receiving team’s 25-yard line if there is a fair catch on a free kick (kickoff and safety kick) behind the receiving team’s 25-yard line.
Reason: Player Safety.
2023 BYLAW PROPOSAL 1A
Amend Article XVII, Section 17.3 of the Constitution and Bylaws, to reflect the following (deleted language struck through):
Active/Inactive Lists
17.3 One hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff, each club is required to establish its 45-player Active List for the game by notifying the Referee of the players on its Inactive List for that game. Each club may also designate one emergency third quarterback from its 53-player Active/Inactive List (i.e., elevated players are not eligible for designation) who will be eligible to be activated during the game, if the club’s first two quarterbacks on its game day Active List are not able to participate in the game due to injury or disqualification (activation cannot be a result of a head coach’s in-game decision to remove a player from the game due to performance or conduct). If either of the injured quarterbacks is cleared by the medical staff to return to play, the emergency third quarterback must be removed from the game and is not permitted to continue to play quarterback or any other position, but is eligible to return to the game to play quarterback if another emergency third quarterback situation arises.
A club is not eligible to use these procedures if it carries three quarterbacks on its game day Active List [47- or 48-players in 2023].
Each club may also identify one player on its Inactive List who may dress for the game, provided that (1) such player is a quarterback; (2) the club has two quarterbacks on its 45-player Active List; (3) if the third quarterback enters the game during the first three periods, he must replace one of the club’s other two quarterbacks, neither of whom may thereafter return to the game under any circumstances; and (4) if the third quarterback enters the game during the fourth period or any overtime period, he must replace one of the club’s other two quarterbacks, either of whom is permitted to return to the game.
[The remaining language of Section 17.3 is unchanged.]
Submitted by Competition Committee
Effect: Permits each club to designate an emergency quarterback who can be activated from its Inactive List if the two quarterbacks on the club’s Active List are injured or disqualified and unable to participate in the game.
Reason: Integrity of game.
2023 RESOLUTION JC-6
Whereas, in 2023 Resolution JC-2 (as Amended) the membership approved a modified scheduling policy for short weeks in connection with the Thursday Night Football package; and
Whereas, given that Thursday Night Football is the only primetime package without flexible scheduling, the membership also wishes to apply flexible scheduling and/or “TBD” scheduling for Thursday Night Football on a trial basis; Be it
Resolved, that flexible scheduling is hereby expanded to Thursdays such that clubs may be required to switch Sunday afternoon regular season games, in Weeks 13-17, to approximately 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday (and vice-versa) upon at least twenty-eight (28) days’ notice from the League Office; and Be it
Further Resolved, that the League‘s late season “TBD” scheduling mechanism is hereby expanded to allow the League Office to designate games originally identified as “TBD” games to be played at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday (in addition to Saturday, Sunday or Monday) in place of the originally scheduled Thursday night game (which shall be played on Sunday); and Be it
Further Resolved, that any club appearance on Thursday Night Football as a result of flexing or “TBD” scheduling will count toward the existing seven (7) appearance limit (as described in Section 4 of Exhibit A of 2021 Resolution M-1); and Be it
Further Resolved, that no club will be required by virtue of flexible scheduling to switch from Sunday afternoon to Thursday night on more than one (1) occasion, or to play more than two (2) games on Thursday night in total, in any season; and Be it
Further Resolved, that the League Office will apply flexible scheduling to Thursday Night Football no more than two (2) times in any season; and Be it
Further Resolved, that this Resolution will be in effect for the 2023 season only, unless flexible scheduling is not applied for Thursday Night Football during the 2023 regular season, in which case this Resolution shall remain in effect for the 2024 season.
Submitted by: Media and Media O&O Committees
Reason and Effect: To permit a one-season trial of modified scheduling policies for flexible scheduling in connection with the Thursday Night Football package.
