Reports: Leaping ban, full-time refs, shortened overtimes among NFL competition committee proposals

When the NFL's annual spring meeting begins next week in Phoenix, the competition committee could give owners several notable rule changes to consider.

Among the proposals the committee will put forth are a ban on defensive players leaping over the line of scrimmage on field goals and extra point attempts, shortening the overtime period to 10 minutes and the implementation of full-time officials, according to multiple reports.

All 32 NFL owners will vote on any proposed rule change, with 24 votes required for passage.

The NFL Players Association lobbied for the ban on allowing players to vault over the offensive line to block kicks, according to The Washington Post. Defenders are currently permitted to jump over their opponents on such plays so long as they do not land on another player or use their hands or arms to gain leverage.

The action has been a source of extended controversy, with Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians calling leaps "bad for football" after Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner blocked one field goal and helped force a miss on another in a 6-6 tie in October.

“The jumping over on the field goal, I think, is just leading to a really dangerous play for everybody,” Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle and NFLPA president Eric Winston told The Post at the NFL scouting combine. “If you jump over the center, the jumper is in a really bad spot. He can land on his head. I think the guys that are getting jumped over are going to end up getting hurt, with those guys landing on them."

Among the other proposals on the docket according to The Post were automatic suspensions for players on particularly egregious hits and having replay rulings determined by league officiating members in New York.

The competition committee is also pondering an overtime period reduced from 15 minutes to 10, NFL Network reported. Designating officials as full-time employees, a longstanding talking point within the NFL, also is under consideration, according to ESPN.

USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero reported in February that the competition committee was also looking at clarifying its celebration rules after a spike in "demonstration" penalties last season.