There will be no four-try football in the CFL this year.
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Last week, reports circulated that the CFL was toying with the possibility of turning to four-try football in order to make their product more attractive to our neighbors to the south.
During a discussion with general managers and head coaches on the sidelines of the CFL evaluation camp which begins today in the Queen City, Danny Maciocia gave the assurance that the option of football at four tries was not in the cards for the moment.
“In the meetings that have been going on since we arrived in Toronto, there is a consensus among the nine teams that we are going to keep three-try football in place and that we are going to work to find ways to improve the product on the field and offer higher scores,” said the Montreal Alouettes’ general manager. We will not go into details for the moment because proposals continue to come in, but it is the common objective to improve three-try football.
The partnership agreement between the CFL and Genius Sports, which will hopefully promote the promotion of Canadian football internationally, suggested that the task would be easier with four-down football, which is the norm everywhere but in Canada. . Genius Sports is a data and technology company connecting sports, sports betting and media content.
Discussions in a good climate
Maciocia assures, however, that the discussions took place in a calm spirit and that he did not feel pressure from the senior management of the circuit to Americanize the product of the CFL.
“I grew up watching three-try football, I’m a firm believer in the three-try product, but it’s only the fools who don’t change their minds and I can’t predict what the future holds.” has in store for us, he summed up. I was open to discussions, but I never felt that people were forcing us to consider the option of four-try football. We had a respectful conversation and I feel better now as everyone wants to keep improving the three-trial product.”
Maciocia is aware of the criticism that low-scoring games were much more frequent last year, but he refuses to panic. “We must take into consideration that the pandemic has influenced the product,” he said. We didn’t play in 2020, we didn’t play preseason games in 2021 and all of that together hurt us.”
“I don’t want to panic after just one season,” added Maciocia. We are not talking about an observation over 10 years, but over a single season. I would be concerned if our sample was larger. We must take these factors into consideration in our analyses.
Beyond the number of tries that has been discussed, possible solutions to increase explosive plays and scoring are on the table. Moved rush features to get the wide receiver wide end of the field more involved in the play and thus force defenses to cover the entire field and a limited number of clearances so teams try to convert third downs more often are a few -some of the options discussed. The Rules Committee will meet in April.
Looking forward to the next draft
For the first time since 2019, CFL scouts will be able to see the brightest prospects heading into the next draft right before their eyes. This return to normal fills everyone.
“There is nothing that can replace seeing the players in person,” summed up Montreal Alouettes head coach and offensive coordinator Khari Jones. It’s important to be able to talk to them, hear them and see them move on the pitch. After two years away, I’m so glad to be back.”
Danny Maciocia agrees. “We can finally appreciate what we had,” said the Alouettes’ general manager. We realize that we shouldn’t take anything for granted. I was tired of talking to the players in virtual.
Last year, the best hopes filmed their tests and sent them to the teams. This approach has its limits. “By being there, you can see the body language of the youngster and how he reacts with the others and the coaches, explained Maciocia. Our assessment is more accurate and our reading is better. Our work is facilitated because the evaluation on Zoom is very difficult. Players cannot cheat on the field. Along with our staff, I look forward to evaluating the prospects and seeing them in action.”
The Alouettes are finally betting on a first-round pick, which they haven’t had since 2018 when they chose offensive lineman Trey Rutherford with the second selection. They will be talking 4th on May 3 if there are no trades by then.
“I’m not used to having a first-round pick,” Maciocia said with a smile. I can’t wait to talk. We will look for the best player available even if we already have depth in this position. We never have enough good players and it will always be possible to compromise afterwards.