What would happen if they simply "let them play". (Get rid of NFL penalites completely)

[tubby_mcgee 700]

A lot of "fans" griping about refs hurting the NFL because of throwing too many flags.  A lot of folks chirp "Just let 'em play!"  and are upset with the current state of the game. 

 

So imagine they just "let 'em play".  No penalties called.   The refs job would be to set the ball, measure for first downs,  reviews, etc. No penalties. 

So someone tell me:

1.) How would the ratings be for NFL games if they just got rid of penalties.

2.) what would the games look like? The game would probably be a lot faster paced and get over quicker, right?  With no penalties to slow the game down it would be a better viewing experience for the fans, right?

[edjr 6,578]

in junior high school we played basketball with no rules.  Best basketball ever 

[Hardcore troubadour 14,923]

Last night was another poor display.  

[Fnord 2,051]

12 minutes ago, edjr said:

in junior high school we played basketball with no rules.  Best basketball ever 

We called this garbage ball or basketbrawl. Fun as hell to play, prolly not great as a spectator sport. If you were playing on someone's driveway hoop, injuries were a near certainty.

[nobody 2,557]

Why would the defense even allow the offense to snap the ball if there were no penalties?

This isn't street football.  Teams would exploit every possible angle, so the game would basically become rugby.  The defense wouldn't even let the offense line up so in response, the offense would just pick up the ball and start running.  

[Mike Honcho 5,096]

Probably something like this...
 

 

[edjr 6,578]

11 minutes ago, Fnord said:

We called this garbage ball or basketbrawl. Fun as hell to play, prolly not great as a spectator sport. If you were playing on someone's driveway hoop, injuries were a near certainty.

we did it before school and during lunch out in the yard (cement yard with hoops)

[Maximum Overkill 1,739]

What would happen if they simply "let them play". (Get rid of NFL penalites completely".

 

Everyone on the planet would watch every game. 

[purdygood 334]

It would be 11 on 11 MMA. With a ball somewhere. I'm down. 

[The Real timschochet 6,406]

Within less than a month there would be a new quarterback on every team. 

[The Real timschochet 6,406]

There would also be almost no scoring. Average score of every game would be something like 6-3. Almost no touchdowns. Almost no first downs. 
 

ETA in fact you wouldn’t need to get rid of all the rules for this to happen. Just get rid of the offsides rule and that would take care of it. 

[Fnord 2,051]

18 minutes ago, edjr said:

we did it before school and during lunch out in the yard (cement yard with hoops)

What kind of barbaric school let you do that? We were watched too closely during breaks at school for it to happen there. Best place for it was whichever house where the parents weren't home. 

[edjr 6,578]

17 minutes ago, Fnord said:

What kind of barbaric school let you do that? We were watched too closely during breaks at school for it to happen there. Best place for it was whichever house where the parents weren't home. 

Was 1984/1985 - no teachers -  we had a giant anchor in the school yard and when you challenged someone to a fight, you would say. Meet me at the ankah

[Mike Honcho 5,096]

Also it would probably resemble Blood Bowl 3, probably not with halfings though.

 

[Fnord 2,051]

Just now, Mike Honcho said:

Also it would probably resemble Blood Bowl 3, probably not with halfings though.

 

I will not accept disparaging remarks about halflings you fuking bigot!

Sincerely, half German/half Irish geek

[Hardcore troubadour 14,923]

You guys never played murder ball? Or tackle wiffleball? 

[Maximum Overkill 1,739]

3 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

You guys never played murder ball? Or tackle wiffleball? 

Pedocrats would never!!! They were too busy playing dress up like Mommy and hide the cucumber

[nobody 2,557]

45 minutes ago, purdygood said:

It would be 11 on 11 MMA. With a ball somewhere. I'm down. 

Why only 11?  There's no penalties, remember?  Throw 100 guys out there 

[BudBro 173]

People like Sean Payton would happen...with bounties and stuff. 

Why can't the best players on the planet play within the rules?  A pro basketball player shouldn't need to travel to get off a jumper if he's one of the best players on the planet (that means James Harden isn't one).

[purdygood 334]

26 minutes ago, nobody said:

Why only 11?  There's no penalties, remember?  Throw 100 guys out there 

Roman Coliseum!  I hear the Oakland Coliseum is available now. (I was there yesterday). Lets go!

[kilroy69 1,216]

It would look like the video game NFL blitz

[Gepetto 1,288]

1 hour ago, Mike Honcho said:

Probably something like this...
 

 

Look at that deflated football. Tom Brady must have watched this film when he was a rookie.

[tubby_mcgee 700]

Finally responding to this - the game wouldn't get out of the 1st quarter. Probably not even the first drive.   It would turn into an all out fight.  With no one there to break it up, I don't know when folks would finally decide to stop fighting. 

[supermike80 1,800]

On 9/27/2024 at 1:59 PM, edjr said:

in junior high school we played basketball with no rules.  Best basketball ever 

No blood no foul

[peenie 1,896]

Broken necks would happen. They can't keep from grabbing the face mask with penalties. 

[seafoam1 2,799]

6 minutes ago, peenie said:

Broken necks would happen. They can't keep from grabbing the face mask with penalties. 

[Voltaire 5,182]

We don't have to go to no penalties, just how it was a few years ago. There's an insane amount of ticky-tack penalties being called. Way too many flags- across the NFL. Especially pass interference. How about just call the game like it was called 10-20 years ago?

[seafoam1 2,799]

Why does everyone play into this scenario? So dumb. 

[BunnysBastatrds 2,310]

 Like this…

 

 

 

[WhiteWonder 2,675]

On 9/27/2024 at 2:20 PM, nobody said:

Why would the defense even allow the offense to snap the ball if there were no penalties?

This isn't street football.  Teams would exploit every possible angle, so the game would basically become rugby.  The defense wouldn't even let the offense line up so in response, the offense would just pick up the ball and start running.  

this