Prior to the 2022 season, the rule was: 6 Defensive Linemen (minimum of 2 Defensive Tackles and 2 Defensive Ends) 6 Linebackers (minimum of 1 Inside LB and 2 Outside LBs) 7 Defensive Backs (minimum of 2 Cornerbacks and 2 Safeties)
Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the rule has been: 7 players rated at Defensive End or Outside Linebacker 5 players rated at Defensive Tackle or Inside Linebacker 7 Defensive Backs (minimum of 3 Cornerbacks and 2 Safeties)
We currently have two teams who, while meeting the requirements of both the pre-2022 rule and the 2022 rule, have only two players on their rosters eligible to play OLB. One of the OLB's on one team is a 4 durability. Unless these teams add OLB's to their rosters, they will have to play players out of position. I am certain these teams have not done this because they intend to tank games and KRFL does not have a rule prohibiting players from playing out of position. It is difficult becomes some teams play 4-3 base defense and some play 3-4. But do we reconsider these rules for 2024 and if so, what should they be and why?
This rule IS going to be revised again in the off-season by the Commissioner. This season we have a team with only two players on its roster eligible to play OLB. One player has a durability of 9- and only started 5 NFL games in 2022. The other player has a durability rating of 6- which means he will be injured for 6 or 7 games this season, and cannot play for more than maybe half the defensive snaps in a game. Coincidentally, he has been injured the past five games and the team has lost ALL OF FIVE of those games while it has had to play a ILB at OLB, and the durability 9- OLB it does has averaged playing only 23 plays a game, or less than half the team's defensive plays in those five games. Which means the team has used two ILB to play OLB for the majority of the defensive snaps in these five losses. And the team has not signed any free agent OLB during this period. I am not implying the team is tanking games and trying to lose games, but KRFL teams should not be allowed to have a roster like this, then do nothing about it........
Therefore, effective for the 2024 season, the rule for minimum defensive player on a team's roster will be:
>7 Defensive Lineman with a minimum of 3 defensive tackles and a minimum of 3 defensive ends
>6 Linebackers with a minimum of 3 outside linebackers and a minimum of 2 inside linebackers. The team can have only one inside linebacker if he has a durability rating of 10+ of 10 (10- does not satisfy this exemption)
>7 Defensive Backs with a minimum of 3 Cornerbacks and 3 Safeties unless the team has 2 safeties who both have durability ratings of 10+ or 10 (10- does not satisfy this exemption)
And I reiterate my position, which has been voted down two years in a row, that all these players must have a durability rating of at least six and will be proposing that as a rule change again next off season.
