UPDATED: The NFL approves NINE new rules for the 2016 season

Last week we brought you the 19 proposed rules the the owners would be voting on at the annual NFL Owner's Meetings. Those meetings are currently underway and the voting has already taken place with seven eight nine(!) rules making the cut.

Here are the seven eight nine(!) rules that passed.

• Permanently moves the line of scrimmage for Try kicks to the defensive team's 15-yard line, and allows the defense to return any missed Try.
• Permits the offensive and defensive play callers on the coaching staffs to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they are on the field or in the coaches' booth.
• Makes all chop blocks illegal.
• Expands the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground.
• Makes it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call a timeout when it is not permitted to do so.
• Eliminates the five-yard penalty for an eligible receiver illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself inbounds, and makes it a loss of down.
• Eliminates multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession.
• UPDATED: Changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line.
• UPDATED: Disqualifies a player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. Approved on a 1 year trial basis.

I found it interesting that none of the ten proposed rule changes made by individual teams passed, but 7 of the 9 rules proposed by the competition committed passed.

That first rule is essentially the way it was during the 2015 season. Last year the NFL moved extra points back on a 1 year trail, and they must have enjoyed the extra "drama" the change brought to the game.

The chop block rule will change how teams coach the stretch-zone play. Previously teams would always teach the backside offensive linemen to cut down their defenders to stop backside pursuit. But now with the rule change, the offensive lineman will probably need to execute a reach block to get themselves between the ball carrier and the defender.

Another player safety rule is the new horse collar guidelines. I get the safety aspect of it, but by taking away even more legal tackling area as a defender chases a runner, he may feel the need to dive at the legs. That may lead to more ankles being rolled up under the weight of a tackler.

UPDATE: The touchback rule is designed to thwart as many kickoff returns as possible, but the opposite may happen. Teams may now go for a loftier kick down to the goal line and allow their coverage team to stop the returner from getting to the 25.

The other rules are just common sense stuff.

Notice there are no new guidelines to determine what is or what isn't a catch. We should all look forward to another season of referee incompetence when it comes to receivers catching the ball.

UPDATE: There has been a bylaw change to the injured reserve / designated to return rule. Teams mo longer need to designate that the player on IR can return, teams can now elect to bring 1 player per season back that was place don IR after 6 weeks.

What are your thoughts on the seven new rules?