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6h ago

MPs Split as CFL's Two-Year Rule and Field Overhaul Moves Forward

The league pitches a data-driven plan to trade field goals for touchdowns.

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets fly over Mosaic Stadium before CFL football action between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Regina, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
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Overview

  • Beginning in 2026, the rouge will no longer award a single for kicks that sail out of the end zone unless a returner concedes or is tackled, a 35-second play clock will start at the whistle, and teams must use opposite sidelines.
  • In 2027, goalposts move to the back of the end zone, the field shrinks from 110 to 100 yards, end zones contract from 20 to 15 yards, and the 65-yard width remains.
  • League governors approved the package unanimously, and the CFL Rules Committee with the CFLPA will review technical adjustments in the off-season.
  • B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke criticized the changes as “garbage” and said players were not consulted, while kicker Sean Whyte suggested reduced need for his role.
  • On Parliament Hill, reactions ranged from skepticism over fewer rouges and timing changes to support for moving the uprights, with some MPs questioning the decision to shorten the field.