When the NFL first adopted the rule regarding the lowering of the helmet in 2018, no one knew it was coming. This year, the NFL has made a tweak to the controversial rule that no one knew had happened.
The change appears in the official 2022 rulebook, which the NFL has posted online. The rule now reads as follows: “It is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent.”
The rule has changed in two ways. First, the NFL has removed the requirement that the player initiate contact. Second, the word “forcible” has been added to the rule.
