1 – The NFL will vote on whether or not to re-seed the playoffs. The new plan would give home-field advantage to a wild-card team in the first round of the playoffs if the wild-card team has a better record than the division winner it is pitted against. If their records are identical, the tiebreaker would automatically go to the division winner.

I’m kind of torn on this one. I don’t like anything that diminishes the importance of winning your division, but I also like the idea that a team in a tough division is not punished for having an elite team ahead of them… of course, last years’ 11-5 wild card Jaguars and 10-6 division champ Steelers are a perfect example. Should the Jaguars be punished because the Steelers won an easier division? I don’t think so, especially when the Jaguars had to slog through the toughest division in football.

Although I’m a bit tentative with my decision, I would vote YES for this one. What’s your call?

2 – The NFL will vote on whether or not to eliminate the forceout rule, which would allow defenders to push a receiver/interceptor out of bounds while they make a catch. The rule change would require any receiver or interceptor to get both feet in bounds at all times when making a catch.

This is an absolute, total YES for me. I hate the forceout rule. Why shouldn’t a defender be able to um… defend the field as much as possible? Why should anyone have to stand at the sideline, stop what they’re doing, and allow someone to gently land in-bounds without being interfered with? That’s stupid. The field is 53.3 yards wide and 120 yards long. If you can’t make a play that lands you within those parameters – then the play shouldn’t count for anything.

My vote on this one would be a very firm YES.

3 – The NFL will vote on a proposal that makes all facemask infractions carry a 15-yard penalty. The 5-yard penalty would be eliminated.

I’d like to see more of a compromise here. 15 yards is a huge chunk of yardage. Can you imagine a team desperately needing a stop on defense, and getting nicked for 15 yards just because one of their players accidentally grazed someone’s facemask, just enough to slightly turn the helmet and draw a flag? No way should this rule be pushed through. I hate to sound like one of the old men from the leather helmet days, but really – this is another one of those “why don’t we just put the players in a dress” kind of rules.

Here’s my first counter-proposal. 5 yards for a harmless facemask, just like it is now… and if you want to really crack down on the dangerous facemask penalties, keep the current 15-yard penalty in place, but also hit that player with an in-game suspension. One quarter, one half… or if that’s too severe, the rest of the current defensive series, and the following series.

My second counter-proposal – make all facemask penalties 15 yards, but stop enforcing the call for any ‘minor’ facemask penalty. If the player is not pulled to the ground by the facemask, or his helmet is not turned in a way deemed dangerous – simply don’t call it. Make it a reviewable play, and strictly enforce a 30-second timetable for the officials to consider whether or not the penalty should merit the 15-yard infraction, or if it should simply be ignored.

I strongly vote NO on this one.

4 – The NFL will vote on whether or not to use instant replay to review field-goal attempts.

I don’t understand. If you already use instant replay, why would you not use it on field goals? I like instant replay, but I’m not necessarily a fan of the current NFL replay system… that said, if you have it to review all other scoring plays, why would you not use it to review a field goal if there is some dispute over whether or not it was a successful attempt?

I would vote YES, and wonder aloud why this wasn’t already in place.

5 – The NFL will vote over whether or not players with long hair should have to tuck it into their helmets to prevent any obstruction of the nameplate.

I put this one last because, well, it’s the worst proposed rule change I can remember. You might hope to see that I have a differing opinion than the vast majority of people regarding this issue – I don’t. In a league that cracks down on celebrations, and pretty much does all it can to stamp out any kind of individualism – I think this is taking it too far. I still have yet to see one reason in favor of this rule change that even makes the slightest bit of sense.

The one argument I keep seeing is that this is for the ‘safety of the players’. Uh, what safety? Because Larry Johnson turned chick and tugged Troy Polamalu’s hair one time a couple of years ago? These guys plow into each other at full speed hundreds and hundreds of times a season – and the NFL’s worried about someone getting their freaking hair pulled!?!?!?! Um, sure. That makes all kinds of sense.

I firmly vote NO on this rule change. What’s your vote, and why?