Flozell Adams Inspires League Legislation

Arguably more than any other team, the Dallas Cowboys have molded legislation through their on-field transgressions over the years. There's the Emmitt Smith rule, by which players are prohibited from taking off their helmet on the field; there's the Roy Williams rule, forbidding horse-collar tackles; and now, Flozell Adams is set for his turn as the muse of the Competition Committee.

The Flozell Adams-inspired legislation stems from a week 13 incident in which Adams hit New York's Justin Tuck after the first half had ended, nearly inciting a widespread melee. Adams received a personal foul, but due to a snafu in the rule book dealing with dead-ball fouls after the end of the period, the Giants were forced to decline.

An understandably perturbed Tom Coughlin said shortly thereafter that the league should amend this rule, and it appears, unsurprisingly, that he will get his wish.

The Competition Committee will propose the "Flozell Adams rule" next week at the NFL spring meetings, which stipulates that if a player receives a personal foul at the end of a given period, it will carry over to the second half or overtime, where it will be assessed. For example, since Adams hit Tuck at the end of the first period, a 15-yard personal foul would have been assessed on the opening kick of the second half, and so forth.

Adams, despite avoiding a penalty in-game, received a $50,000 fine for his hit on Tuck, the week after.

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