In the most recent meeting among NFL owners, decisions were was made to abolish the “tuck rule” and to create a new 15-yard penalty for ball carriers and tacklers who initiate contact with the crown of their helmet outside of the tackle box.

The “tuck rule,” known to some as the Tom Brady rule, states that a pass will be ruled incomplete — not a fumble — if a quarterback’s arm was moving forward as the ball was being hit out of his hand. The connection to Tom Brady stems from the 2001 AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. Because of the tuck rule, a Brady fumble was overturned to an incomplete pass, since Brady’s arm was moving forward when the ball was being hit out of his hands from behind by Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson. This ruling ultimately helped the Patriots beat the Raiders and eventually the St. Louis Rams in Superbowl XXXVI.

Of the 32 owners voting, 31 voted to rid the NFL of the tuck rule. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney voted to keep the tuck rule, stating he liked the way the rule was previously officiated.

Appealing to player safety — a new trend among NFL owners involving rule changes — ball carriers and defenders are no longer allowed to create contact using the crown of their helmet. This means they cannot lower their heads to hit anyone with the top of their helmet. Owners view their players as investments and feel that using the top of a helmet as a way to tackle or break a tackle is dangerous, leading to the potential for causing serious injury to themselves or another player.

This rule change has been very controversial.

Current Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte and former running back for the St. Louis Rams Marshall Faulk have publicly opposed this rule change, saying it’s more dangerous for ball carriers to run with their heads up, as opposed to having their heads down. They also argue that not allowing a runner to lower his pad level and helmet disables him from breaking tackles and running through defenders.

Although there is a massive player opposition to the rule change, 31 of the 32 NFL owners voted to make this change. Only the Cincinnati Bengals owner, Michael Brown, voted against it.

With the intention of making the game of football more safe at the professional level, owners voting on these rule changes are making the game less appealing to watch as a spectator. Kickoffs have almost been taken out of the game completely — an aspect of the game that appeals to spectators for its hard hits and blocks by special team players. During the same season, a rule was implemented which states that defenders can no longer hit a receiver who was considered defenseless.

The reason why the NFL is so popular today among Americans is its physicality. Spectators love seeing two grown men, a running back and a linebacker, collide in an attempt to lay out the other. They love seeing quarterbacks crushed into the turf by a defensive end. They love seeing wide receivers get hit by a cutting safety the second he touches the ball.

Rule changes made by owners are hurting the NFL. I predict years from now, football will no longer be the most popular sport in America.