![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CP173404060-1600x1119.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLong criticized for being resistant to change and innovation while at the same time praised for being uniquely Canadian, the CFL is now embarking on a bold two-phase implementation of rule changes over the 2026-27 seasons that could dramatically boost scoring.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s the league\u2019s hope here that more points=more entertainment=more fans in the stands and watching on television.<\/p>\n
New CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston unveiled the changes at news conference in Toronto on Monday, with the most significant seeing the goalposts moved to the back of the end zone and the field being re-sized \u2014 100 yards in length, universal 15-yard end zones \u2014 for the 2027 season.<\/p>\n
The changes for next season will see the rouge \u2014 the single point \u2014 no longer awarded for a missed field goal or when a punt or kickoff goes through the side or back of the end zone without being touched by a returner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all about making our great game even more entertaining,\u201d said Johnston. \u201cWe are trading field goals for touchdowns, while improving fan experience in stadiums and at home. These changes are the most significant in decades. We are retaining the unique elements upon which our traditions stand but innovating where change is needed to evolve our world-class game.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nic Demski celebrates one of his seven touchdowns so far this season<\/p>\n
The changes, FYI, were unanimously approved by the CFL\u2019s Board of Governors, including Winnipeg Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy biggest takeaway is this says that as a league we\u2019re evolving and working on making the game better,\u201d said Miller in a conversation with bluebombers.com. \u201cWe\u2019re focussed on trying to increase touchdowns, have consistent game flow and less down time all in the hope it leads to bolder and more aggressive play calls by coaches. Any time you come up with changes it will take a while for everyone to think about all the different parts of it. The changes for 2026, most people will understand that fairly easily.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited by the changes. I\u2019m excited by the evolution of it. We\u2019re going to see how these changes play out now; how it might lead to bolder play calls and increased scoring and increases the experiences for fans in the stadium and at home watching on TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is changing the sandbox for coaches, and we\u2019ve got some talented coaches in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n
The league put together this video explaining the changes:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And here is the written explanation:<\/p>\n
FOOTBALL CHANGES \u2013 2026 PHASE<\/p>\n
MODIFIED ROUGE<\/p>\n
The rouge will no longer include a single point for a missed field goal attempt that goes wide of the goalposts. A point will also not be awarded when a punt or kickoff sails through or rolls out the back, or sides, of an end zone without being touched by a returner.<\/p>\n
If a punt, field goal or kickoff settles in the end zone, and the returner fails to take it out or takes a knee, a single point will still be awarded.<\/p>\n
The change eliminates games being decided by a missed field goal, punt or kickoff through the end zone.<\/p>\n
The modified rouge \u2013 in conjunction with the repositioned goalposts and the shortened field to be instituted in 2027 \u2013 will encourage more aggressive play-calling on third downs, given the threat of the return game or the possibility of yielding favourable field position on the ensuing drive.<\/p>\n
OPPOSITE-FIELD TEAM BENCHES AND 35-SECOND PLAY CLOCKS<\/p>\n
All teams will be required to have their bench areas on opposite sides of the field, eliminating cases where some players are required to run 50-60 yards for substitutions. Some stadiums currently feature benches on opposite sides, while others are side by side.<\/p>\n
To improve game flow and consistency, a new 35-second play clock will automatically begin as soon as the previous play is whistled dead. Currently, the 20-second play clock does not start until manually initiated by an official. The change eliminates inconsistencies in timing caused by teams getting set at their own pace, varying times taken to set yardage markers, and more.<\/p>\n
The revised play clock also instills a sense of urgency in players to progress the game and continue the drive in a timely fashion.<\/p>\n
FOOTBALL CHANGES \u2013 2027 PHASE<\/p>\n
GOALPOSTS AT THE BACK OF END ZONES<\/p>\n
To allow passing offences to target the middle of the end zone and to make settling for field goals less attractive, goalposts will be moved to the back of end zones.\u00a0The shift removes an obstruction that impacts the middle third of the end zone, helping to drive more of football\u2019s most exciting play: touchdowns. The change also benefits teams pinned deep in their own territory, allowing offences \u2013 previously limited by the goalposts \u2013 to expand their playbooks, as well as enabling punters to kick more freely from their own end zone without interference.<\/p>\n
Moving the goalposts removes an obstruction in the field of play, heightening player safety, while also offering more direct sightlines to big plays in the end zone for fans in-stadium and on broadcast.<\/p>\n
Projected gains of repositioned goalposts:<\/p>\n
10 per cent more end zone completions
\n60 more touchdowns per season<\/p>\n
15-YARD END ZONES AND 100-YARD FIELDS<\/p>\n
To ensure scoring remains high and that the kicking game remains relevant,\u00a0end zones will be shortened from 20 to 15 yards. The CFL will still have the largest end zone of any form of professional gridiron football. The field will also be shortened from 110 yards to 100, while retaining its distinctive 65-yard width, allowing offences to start closer to the opposition\u2019s end zone.<\/p>\n
The adjustment also ensures league-wide uniformity of end zone dimensions.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Trey-Vaval-23-23847-Large.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Trey Vaval returned a missed field goal for a touchdown against Toronto earlier this season and against Ottawa last weekend<\/p>\n
How this impacts the league\u2019s biggest issue \u2014 the decline in attendances, outside of this market \u2014 is still to be determined.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it signing up for season tickets? Is it buying a single ticket? Is it now watching more games on TV? Now you won\u2019t see a game where a team is awarded a point for failure on a missed field goal,\u201d said Miller. \u201cAll these are little things but when you add them together you can possibly change some mindsets about the game for people.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a game you have to evolve. Look at what baseball has done with the pitch clock. It\u2019s changed the way baseball is perceived and how it\u2019s viewed. I wouldn\u2019t have gone to a baseball game before, but I\u2019d go now because of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say in the last five years I\u2019ve looked at things with a lot more open mind than I used to have. When you see the fandom across the entire country, we have to do some things to evolve this game. Hopefully these changes will have that impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blue Bombers did not practice on Monday but are back on the field on Tuesday and so we\u2019ll have reaction from players and coaches tomorrow. In the meantime, not all reaction from those closest to the game was positive, including this from B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke on Monday:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long criticized for being resistant to change and innovation while at the same time praised for being uniquely…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-522377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}