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I think part of the problem is that the NFL has made the rules so d*mned complex. The "Dave Casper rule" for example, states that during the last four(?) minutes of a half, if a player fumbles the ball forward the ball comes back to the spot of the fumble unless it's recovered by the player making the fumble or the opposing team. You throw about ninety of those into the mix with the regular rules, and it's no wonder the officials just stare at each other and have fifteen minute conferences between plays.

Every year, the competition committee reviews rules. I'm hoping that instead of just adding new ones, they'll start looking at simplification.

Part of the problem is that the rules have become increasingly complex simply because coaches and/or players have found loopholes that enabled them to cheat without technically breaking any rules.

The Dave Casper Rule is intended to keep a player from deliberately fumbling the ball forward at the end of a half to keep possession on a fourth-down play, move the ball closer for a field goal, etc. The infamous "Holy Roller" play from a Raiders-Chargers game in the 1970s was one of the motivations for this rule, and I still have no idea why this rule only applies at the end of a half . . . if it's fourth down and a ballcarrier is about to be stopped short of the first down marker, he's got an incentive to fumble the ball forward in a desperate attempt to keep possession.

The Buddy Ryan Rule is another example. When he was coaching the Eagles, Buddy Ryan made a travesty of the NFL rules by having his players fake injuries at the end of a half to stop the clock if the Eagles were out of timeouts. It was after this play that the NFL implemented the rule under which a certain amount of time is run off the clock if the clock stops for an offensive penalty or injury at the end of a half.