SPECIAL EDITION | Four Decades of Super Bowl Stats

NFL Rule Changes

In addition to the evolution of talent, some of the changes in stats across the decades can be attributed to changes in the game, most notably rule changes. Below you’ll find all of the rule changes as pertaining to quarterbacks circa 1974. As you’ll see they are almost all designed to increase a player’s career length and open up the passing game.

1974: Sweeping rules changes were adopted to add action and tempo to games: one sudden-death overtime period was added for preseason and regular-season games.

Roll-blocking and cutting of wide receivers was eliminated; the extent of downfield contact a defender could have with an eligible receiver was restricted.

The penalties for offensive holding, illegal use of the hands, and tripping were reduced from 15 to 10 yards; wide receivers blocking back toward the ball within three yards of the line of scrimmage were prevented from blocking below the waist.

1977: Rule changes were adopted to open up the passing game and to cut down on injuries.

Defenders were permitted to make contact with eligible receivers only once; the head slap was outlawed; offensive linemen were prohibited from thrusting their hands to an opponent’s neck, face, or head; and wide receivers were prohibited from clipping, even in the legal clipping zone.

1978: The NFL continued a trend toward opening up the game. Rules changes permitted a defender to maintain contact with a receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage, but restricted contact beyond that point. The pass-blocking rule was interpreted to permit the extending of arms and open hands.

1979: NFL rules changes emphasized additional player safety. The changes prohibited players on the receiving team from blocking below the waist during kickoffs, punts, and field-goal attempts; prohibited the wearing of torn or altered equipment and exposed pads that could be hazardous; extended the zone in which there could be no crackback blocks; and instructed officials to quickly whistle a play dead when a quarterback was clearly in the grasp of a tackler.

1980: Rules changes placed greater restrictions on contact in the area of the head, neck, and face.

Under the heading of “personal foul,” players were prohibited from directly striking, swinging, or clubbing on the head, neck, or face. Starting in 1980, a penalty could be called for such contact whether or not the initial contact was made below the neck area.

1988: At the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, a 45-second clock was also approved to replace the 30-second clock. For a normal sequence of plays, the interval between plays was changed to 45 seconds from the time the ball is signaled dead until it is snapped on the succeeding play.

1995: Quarterbacks may now receive communication from the bench via a small radio transmitter in their helmets. This proposal was originally run on a test basis last year during the preseason, but was scrapped.

1996: The five-yard contact rule will be enforced more stringently.

Hits with the helmet or to the head by the defender will be flagged as personal fouls and subject to fines. This is being done to protect the offense, particularly the quarterback.

1999: Instant replay returns with a challenge system.

2001: Protecting the passer will be emphasized even more.

2002: It is illegal to hit a quarterback helmet-to-helmet anytime after a change of possession.

2005: Unnecessary roughness would be called for blocks away from the play on punters or kickers, similar to the same protection quarterbacks have after interceptions.

2006: Defenders are prohibited from hitting a quarterback in the knee or below unless they are blocked into him. This rule was enacted in response to the previous season’s injuries to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Brian Griese.

2007: Roughing-the-passer penalties will not be called on a defender engaged with a quarterback who simply extends his arms and shoves the passer to the ground.

A completed catch is now when a receiver gets two feet down and has control of the ball. Previously, a receiver had to make “a football move” in addition to having control of the ball for a reception.

2009: The initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver is also prohibited.

A defensive player on the ground may no longer lunge or dive at the quarterback’s lower legs.

Complete Super Bowl Quarterback Stats:

*Note: Both Earl Morrall and Kurt Warner went to the Superbowl with two separate teams.

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