NFL Learnings - www.leaguematters.com

No, this doesn't mean that NFL refs wear roller skates while listening to Cliff Richard songs through their headphones - but by making NRL refs do hand signals to the crowd to let us interpret their decisions creates an equally silly visual.

It makes no sense that the fans who put the time, effort and money into attending the game will know less about what happened at the conclusion than the fans who stayed home and watched it from the couch.

That happens all the time in NRL, but in the NFL, the ref just switches on his microphone and tells the crowd exactly what decision they made and why. So simple.


Multiple broadcasters

As well as more revenue in the game, having multiple broadcasters means that multiple channels are invested in the promotion of the sport which results in more NFL related programming.

Channel 9 do their best, but some mid week alternatives to the Footy Show would be nice.

They have fewer games

This one sounds counter intuitive, but with sixteen regular season games, each match is an event. If we remember our year eight commerce class correctly, the Law of Scarcity means the less there is of something the more valuable it becomes.

If there are less game each one would become more important.


Proportional penalties

In the NRL, if you give away a penalty, drop the ball or even have a minor play the ball infringement in your own half against quality opposition, you pretty much are giving up points.

Fair enough if you knock it on, but it’s always a bit hard to swallow when a guy gets pinged for something as silly as an incorrect play the ball. Such a minor infringement has a disproportional punishment of losing possession and field position.

The NFL understands how important possession is and more minor infringements from the team with the ball are punished with a loss of field position rather than a straight handover.

Everybody wins and it doesn’t put so much pressure on the refs, they can just call it as they see it, rather than having to worry about making a game changing call if a guy isn’t lined up squarely when playing the ball – blow the whistle, march them back ten metres and continue with the tackle count as it was.

Moulded beer holders on the back of the seats!

If we can take nothing else from the NFL, let us take this one. Their seats have beer holders! 




Granted you could other things instead of beer in the holders , but either way it is spectacular. So simple but so effective – it just makes the game better.