Adjusting to the Rules in 1978

Pro Football in the 1970s

Pro Football in the 1970s is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In 1978, a bunch of new rules geared to improve the passing game showed up along the landscape of the NFL. The public for the most part clamored for the news rules because they wanted to see more scoring in the game. Former Hall of Fame Miami head coach Don Shula differed from their opinions, however.

Shula was a long-time member of the league’s competition committee, and as the decade of the 1970s wore on, he eventually became one of just a token few standouts who preferred to keep the rules the same. But Shula faced plenty of pressure from the game’s owners and from the majority of his fellow competition committee members. He eventually relented, hence the advent of the rules changes of 1978.

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PRO FOOTBALL IN THE 1970S BACKGROUND

Pro Football in the 1970s is a podcast dedicated to teaching fans about the history of the NFL during the 1970s, a time when the host (Joe Zagorski) grew up as a rabid fan of the game. Joe is also an author of multiple NFL books. See Joe's books below.

The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade

The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence

America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier