Relegation
In January 1927, an owners' meeting was held in New York City at which tentative plans were made to reorganize the NFL into two classes, "A" and "B", with weaker teams demoted to the second division. [1] With free entry into the NFL upon payment of a relatively minimal franchise fee, the size of the league had become unwieldy in the view of the most prominent league owners. [2] Some big city franchises held grand aspirations while other smaller market teams staggered on the edge of the financial abyss.
A follow-up meeting was held on April 23 and 24 in Cleveland's Statler Hotel to formalize these changes. [1]
In the call for the meeting issued to the owners, NFL Commissioner Joe F. Carr stated: "As you are aware, this meeting is for the purpose of taking final action on any plans that will be proposed for the reorganization of the league and we would suggest that you would come to discuss this proposition from every angle. [1]
Although the splitting of the league into tiers had been initially envisioned, following debate at the closed-door meeting a more draconian option was exercised: the NFL would continue as a single-tier league, albeit with financially struggling teams removed outright. Financially unstable teams were given the choice of terminating their association with the league or suspending operations until the franchise could be sold. [3] Any franchise not sold or reactivated by July 7, 1928, would have its charter unilaterally terminated. [3]
For 1927, the NFL would require its franchises to host no fewer than four home games, each with a guarantee of $3,000 paid out to the visiting club. [4] The league also upped its "guarantee fund" to insure against default from $1,500 to $2,500 per club, payable as a certified check to the league office ahead of the forthcoming July scheduling meeting. [5]
These new financial requirements served to drive the league's weaker teams from the field, with the local press breaking the news that "a year's football vacation" had been effectively declared for "Milwaukee, Hammond, Detroit, Los Angeles, Louisville, Canton, Hartford, Rochester Kodaks, Brooklyn, Minneapolis Marines, and Kansas City." [6] Nor would the Columbus Panhandles, Akron Indians, or Racine Legion be part of the league in 1927. [5]
The Kansas City Cowboys traveling team was slated for a move to Cleveland, where they were to become the 1927 iteration of the Cleveland Bulldogs. [5]
The radical loss of 10 teams which ensued was not prescribed — rather, a more modest reduction to a 16 team NFL loop had been envisioned. [5] It wasn't until the National League's scheduling meeting held in Green Bay on July 16 and 17 that it was learned Commissioner Carr's vaunted "16-spoke wheel, composed entirely of first-class clubs" [5] had attenuated to just 12 clubs — ten holdovers and two expansion teams — few of these truly financially secure. The league would not again have as many as 22 teams until after the 1970 NFL–AFL merger.
Rules changes
Official NCAA football rules were adopted at the April 1927 owners' meeting as the general laws for league play. [5] The NFL followed the NCAA rules committee, therefore, in moving the goal posts to the end line for 1927. The rationale for this move was two-fold: for safety reasons, reducing the potential for injuries on goal-line plays, as well as making the attempt for point-after-touchdown more difficult. [8] There they would remain until the NFL, departing from college rules, returned them to the goal line in an attempt to increase scoring in 1933. [9]
The 1927 rules also required that all offensive players moving during a "shift" play must henceforth come "to a complete stop for a period of approximately one second" and reduced the number of time-outs allowed to each team per half from four to three. [8]
In addition, two important rules governing fumbles were changed. Beginning in 1927, lateral and backwards passes falling to the ground were to be treated the same way as an incomplete forward pass; also a punt which was "muffed" or accidentally first touched by a member of the receiving team would continue to be treated as a fumble for ball-possession purposes, but could no longer be advanced from the point of recovery by the kicking team. [8]
While the numbering of players was not only recommended but "urged" by the Rules Committee, jersey numbers were still not officially required by rule. [10]
Eskimos