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Canadian Football League Commissioner Stewart Johnston announced major changes to the league Monday, calling them a bold step to “elevate the action” and improve the fan experience.
The updates, revealed at a press conference and through a promotional video, include shrinking the field, shortening end zones, and moving the goal posts.
Under the changes:
- Goal posts will be moved from the goal line to the back of the end zone.
- End zones will shrink from 20 yards to 15 yards.
- The field of play will be reduced from 110 yards to 100 yards.
- The field width will remain 65 yards.
Johnston said the shift will remove obstacles for players, create cleaner visuals for television broadcasts and give quarterbacks more space to use the end zone.
“These updates will create more highlight-worthy plays, improve sight lines and deliver more entertainment,” the league said in its video release.
Other rule changes include:
- A redefined single point: Teams will only earn a single if the returner is tackled in the end zone or concedes voluntarily. Points will no longer be awarded for missed field goals or punts that exit the end zone.
- A new 35-second play clock that resets automatically after each play.
- Teams occupying opposite sidelines in every stadium to improve game flow and visuals.
While the CFL framed the changes as a modernization effort, reaction on social media has been quite negative. On Reddit, many fans criticized the moves as stripping away elements that made the Canadian game unique, with one commenter saying the league is “changing the very things we loved about it.” On the league's Facebook page many have expressed worry the changes are just the beginning of making the CFL more like the NFL.
The league argued that condensing the field will encourage more aggressive third-down plays and higher-stakes moments, while the rules overhaul will eliminate what it called “a reward for failure.”
The changes will take effect in stages over the course of the next two seasons.