3 Things Atlanta Falcons fans should expect with new tackling changes

1. NFL officials are going to officiate it poorly

Every season Atlanta Falcons fans and the rest of the league loudly complain each season about the poor job that officials do. Whether it is missed calls or inconsistent rulings the one thing most NFL fans agree on is that officiating is heading in the wrong direction. How is the NFL working to fix that this offseason?

The league is instituting new rules including eliminating the "hip-drop tackle" from the league. Any tackle that is deemed as such will be a 15-yard flag on the defense. Let's set the issues with the rule itself aside and focus on the most obvious issue.

This rule is setting the league up for an officiating nightmare. How this is going to be ruled on should be expected to be similar to "roughing the quarterback" it is a judgment call. One that is going to be wildly different each week according to the situation and the crew.

How does an official choose to rule a player falling while tackling or if an offensive player gets underneath a defender making a play from behind? This rule leaves officials exactly where fans don't want to see them, in positions of further power able to make another judgment call.