How about a situation where the game develops the same on both sides of the border, so there's something we'll call North American football?
I'd like to think the rules would be a sort of blend of both already-very-similar games, with perhaps a few twists. Maybe it would include:
I'd like to think the rules would be a sort of blend of both already-very-similar games, with perhaps a few twists. Maybe it would include:
- A field 120 yards from goal line to goal line, 60 yards in width
- 20 yard deep end zones
- Goal posts 10 yards into the end zone
- 12 players on a side
- Five downs to get 20 yards
- Multiple backs in motion allowed
- Motion toward the line of scrimmage OK
- Kicks into the end zone are either returned or count a single point for the kicking team. Exception: a kick going over the end line on the fly yields a touchback.
- Punts received between the 30 yard lines may be fair-caught. However, the receiving team either must forfeit one down on offense (making the succeeding play from scrimmage 2nd and 20) or must take a free kick to attempt a field goal.
- Punts between the goal line and the 30 must be returned, with any kicking team members having to give a zone similar to that in the existing Canadian game to the receiver.
- A new way to score called a punt goal: a punted ball that splits the uprights counts as two for the kicking team. The would-be receiving team then gets the ball as if it were a touchback.
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