The NFL is coming to a city near you with its pregame rule changes.
The NFL’s rule change that would ban teams from staging pregame football games in a stadium in which fewer than 50 people would be seated would apply to cities like New Orleans, Cleveland and Jacksonville, among other cities, and would take effect this season.
It would apply even if the NFL decided not to make the rule changes because it was a logistical necessity.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league will work with city governments to develop rules that comply with the rule change.
The NFL says the rule is meant to promote a “high-quality, high-impact environment” for the game.
But some players, coaches and league officials are worried about the rule.
They say it is a slap in the face to the game and will make the game less competitive and less exciting for fans.
The rule change also could make it more difficult for the league to build up the fan base it needs to survive, including by reducing attendance to a point that would deter people from attending games.
“It will hurt the NFL and it will hurt fans, and that’s what I’m worried about,” said Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse.
“If you’re not there, people will go away.”
New Orleans, a small city of about 11,000 people about 20 miles south of New York City, was one of the first cities to adopt the rule when the NFL expanded to the East Coast.
The city’s rules say that games can be held indoors and can’t be played in the open air or on a grass field.
The league has played games indoors in New Orleans since 1996, and the Saints have played more than 50 home games there since 2010.
The NFL rule change is being pushed by the NFLPA, the union that represents players.
The union argues the rule’s impact is not as great as many fans believe.
The new rule would allow teams to hold the games outdoors and allow teams with more than 40 players to use the field, according to the NFL.
But many fans fear the rule would hurt the game’s ratings, and some are worried the NFL would use the rule to cut down on its fan base, particularly those who follow other sports.
The NBA and Major League Baseball have adopted similar rules.
But the NFL has never made a rule change to allow the home games to be held outdoors.
The league also wants to make it easier for teams to play in smaller stadiums.
The rules say teams can hold games indoors if they have at least 20 players, but they have to have a minimum of 40.
