ssmitty

Rules named after players
Throughout the league's history, a number of rules have been enacted largely because of a single player's exploits on the field. The following is a partial list of such rule changes:

the Adam Vinatieri Rule -- the clock stops immediately after a field goal is kicked through the uprights. Enacted in 2002 after the Patriots' kicker won Super Bowl XXXVI on a last second kick that went through with three seconds remaining on the clock. The clock didn't stop and New England won.
the Bronko Nagurski Rule -- forward passing made legal from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Enacted in 1933. Prior to this rule change a player had to be five yards behind the line of scrimmage to throw a forward pass.
the Deacon Jones Rule -- no head-slapping. Enacted in 1977.
the Deion Sanders rule -- Player salary rule which correlates a contract's signing bonus with its yearly salary. Enacted after Deion Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 for a minimum salary and a $13 million signing bonus. (There is also a college football rule with this nickname.)
the Emmitt Smith Rule -- no taking your helmet off on the field of play. Enacted in 1997.
the Erik Williams rule -- no hands to the facemask by offensive linemen.
the Fran Tarkenton rule -- a line judge was added as the sixth official to ensure that a back was indeed behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass. Enacted in 1965.
the Jerome Bettis rule -- the coin toss must be called before the coin is tossed. Enacted immediately after an incident during the 1998 Thanksgiving Day game between the Steelers and Lions.
the Ken Stabler rule -- on fourth down or any down in the final two-minutes of play, if a player fumbles, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. A Defensive player can recover and advance at any time of play.Enacted in 1979.
the Lester Hayes rule -- no Stickumâ„¢ allowed. Enacted in 1981.
the Lou Groza rule -- no artificial medium to assist in the execution of a kick. Enacted in 1956.
the Mel Blount rule -- Officially known as defensive pass interference, defensive backs can only make contact with receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Enacted in current form in 1978.
the Mel Renfro rule -- allows a second player on the offense to catch a tipped ball, without a defender subsequentlly touching it. Enacted in 1978.
the Michael Irvin rule -- no taunting. Another rule, resulting in offensive pass interference, prohibiting WRs to push off CBs, is also often called "the Michael Irvin rule."
the Bert Emanuel rule -- the ball can touch the ground during a completed pass as long as the receiver maintains control of the ball. Enacted due to a play in the 1999 NFC Championship Game, where Emanuel, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a catch ruled incomplete since the ball touched the ground.
the Terrell Owens rule -- no "foreign objects" on a player's uniform (enacted in response to the 2002 "Sharpieâ„¢ incident").
the Peyton Manning rule -- basically more emphasis on the Mel Blount rule after the New England Patriots committed several uncalled pass interference penalties in the 2003 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
the Roy Williams rule -- no horse-collar tackles. Enacted in 2005 when Williams broke Terrell Owens' leg on a horse collar tackle.
See

Tobias-Reiper

... coincidentally, the horse collar tackle is now called the jackass collar tackle after Owens.