Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
The Canadian Football League has announced major changes coming to its game in 2026 and 2027, but this year’s Grey Cup head coaches have yet to consider them.
“If I’m gonna be really honest, I haven’t thought too much about it yet. I’ve just been focused on what we’ve got going on; we’ll have plenty of time in the offseason,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders’ head coach Corey Mace in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
“There’s going to be some changes to it, and schematically, I’m sure that’s going to change a bunch, but I just really haven’t had the time to sit down and diagnose all that quite yet.”
Mace’s counterpart in this year’s Grey Cup, Montreal Alouettes’ head coach Jason Maas, echoed the same sentiments.
“I have nothing to say to it — to (the rule changes coming in) 2026 or 2027,” said Maas. “I’m solely focused on 2025 and finishing it off.”
In September, the CFL unveiled several rule changes that will be implemented over the next two years.
In 2026, team benches will permanently be moved to opposite sides of the field, an automatic 35-second clock will run between plays, and punts, kickoffs, and missed field goals that sail through the back of the end zone without being touched by a returner will no longer result in a point.
In 2027, the field will be shortened to 100 yards, end zones will be shortened to 15 yards, and the uprights will be moved to the back of the end zones.
The league’s announcement was met with considerable pushback, with Nathan Rourke, who will likely win Most Outstanding Player later this week, calling them “garbage.” He claimed that players, coaches, and management weren’t consulted about the rule changes, a sentiment that was subsequently echoed by other players and coaches around the league.
Football Canada and U Sports, neither of which was consulted prior to the announcement, both released statements indicating they’ll conduct reviews of their own, though no announcements have since been made by either organization.
Stewart Johnston, who became the CFL’s commissioner earlier this year, didn’t rule out making more changes in the future, saying he can’t guarantee the league will never switch to four downs.
It stands to reason that plenty of the CFL’s coaches will have strong opinions about the incoming rule changes, though it appears they’ll need some more time to think about them in the meantime.
