CFL Changes Created Various Comments

Anyone who is looking to create any type of controversy just have a look at the recent changes put in place by the Canadian Football League which will take effect next season.

Depending on who you ask, everyone has their own opinion if they were made for the  betterment of the game or if the game is going in the wrong direction.

Both of those questions are yet to be understood and of course we’ll know fully next season and will be in place starting in the 2026 pre-season allowing the players to adapted to what they will be facing from the opening kick-off.

Locally, Lions QB Nathan Rourke who never once minced his words when asked about the CFL’s latest slate of rule changes set to begin in 2026 went on to mention

“It’s garbage. As many people did. Fans and people who play in this league grew up watching the CFL and loving the game and I grew up in Ontario, played Canadian football rules all my life, was aware of the league down there, but was a fan of the CFL because of its differences.”

He continued “I went down to the States proud of the game, being able to explain the differences. What the waggle, the yard, the extra person, these are the things that are unique about the game that make it different.”

While Rourke isn’t a fan of the changes 12-year veteran and two time league outstanding player Bo Levi Mitchell backed the moves as a way to push the game forward.

Mitchell told the media “This is not about Americanizing the game, this is about modernizing the game and what can we do to put a better product on the field, a product that people want to watch, at a faster pace? This is not taking away the unique things (about the CFL).”

There is also the idea that pushing or moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone and altering the rouge will give kickers fewer opportunities to score.

The changes were unanimously approved by the CFL’s Board of Governors, and will roll out in a two-year plan.

Beginning in 2026 the league will introduce a modified rouge disallowing teams from scoring a single off a missed field goal and a 35-second automatic reset on the play clock also noting that the team benches will be on opposite sides of all CFL fields.

Also in 2027, the goalposts will be moved to the back of the end zone, which will be shortened from 20 to 15 yards also noting that the length of the field will also be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards but will keep its 65-yard width.

“This isn’t about changing the CFL game and taking away from it,” Mitchell added. “This is about trying to create an entertainment factor that can add a dollar, that can make sure that seven out of nine teams aren’t losing money.”

The two-part plan was unanimously approved by the CFL’s Governors, and will be phased in over the next two years or seasons.

Changes taking effect beginning in the 2026 season are listed below:

• A modified rouge, which will no longer award a single point for certain missed kicks through the endzones.
• Requiring all teams to have benches on opposite sides of the field.
• A new 35-second play clock that starts automatically after a play is whistled dead.

Then, in 2027, the following changes to the field of play will be made:

• Moving the goalposts to the back of the end zones to encourage more touchdowns.
• Shortening the end zones from 20 to 15 yards.
• Shortening the length of the field from 110 yards to 100 yards.

He (Rourke) went on to mention “The worst part is the fact that the people who play football, and who have the football knowledge, were not consulted about this. The players weren’t consulted, the coaches, management, nobody was consulted. This was done on their own accord.”

He continued “This was done independent of asking anyone who actually knows football what they want to do, what they think would be better. We have a commissioner who hasn’t been here for a year who’s already trying to make, trying to change the game. And I don’t believe he loves football as much as I do, as much as many fans do.”

In conversation with some football fans earlier today they are willing to give it a try and see if it changes the game and if so how drastically.

Just maybe it’ll be better and more entertaining for the fans and lastly just maybe we’ll have fewer whistles – thankfully!!!!!