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That isn’t just based upon the size of the rink. Olympic and European hockey have different rules on how you are allowed to check.

It would be good for player safety and it makes the game more wide open.

Even if many of us as individuals disagree, you can’t argue the numbers show people by and large prefer that style.

It won’t happen, but that would be the only way to reduce it without changing the fundamentals of the game too much.

However- when you consider that A) most, if not all, NFL stadiums are built in a configuration that does not allow for a field wider than 40 yards; B) an overwhelming majority of stadiums were built within the last 20 years, with very few new ones being built in the near future; C) the combined upfront and long term costs that owners would incur (or more likely pass along to taxpayers) to retrofit wider stadiums by eliminating big money front-row sideline seats- this idea is a complete nonstarter.

If anything, the NFL’s safety campaign has been exposed as a way to limit the league’s liability, in other words, protect ownerships financial investments. Does anyone actually believe that they would sacrifice a few hundred thousand dollars to retrofit a stadium and also eliminate a thousand or so front row sideline seats going for $500 a pop? Get real!

lets face it and ask yourself why has the NBA lost its luster – that game sucks. Basketball was invented and the rules and regulations laid out for a bunch of under 6ft populace

the court needs to be bigger and the basket raised at least a foot

the guys are too big and fast in the NFL these days – we need to spread them out on the edges a bit

I agree with Polian

Here’s a way to fix it without changing the game. Get rid of all the weapon like equipment. You wouldn’t run full speed into someone with your helmet if it was like a hockey helmet.

I’m not saying I like the idea, but it’s better than making the field wider.

The Arena League uses an even smaller space than the NFL and also has less violent hits.

The NFL should think of better ideas like eliminating the big bulky shoulder pads or the face masks. Both of which cause defenders to be “braver” with their hits than they should be. You know what sport has less incidences of concussions? Rugby.

Why not have players fitted with impact sensors (like we use for air bags) and shock collars that zap them every time they run into something at an “unsafe” speed?

That’s the only thing that I could come up stupider than widening the field…

The reason you don’t see as many punishing hits in the CFL is because quality defenders are fewer. Same thing with college. The few teams that actually recruit a lot of quality defenders tend to hit a lot harder on average.