On Sept. 22, Canadian Football League (CFL) Commissioner Stewart Johnston held a press conference announcing six major changes to the game, ranging from field size to the position of field goal posts.
Three of the changes will be implemented in 2026, while the other three will not come into effect until the 2027 season.
All of the changes will have an impact on Hamilton’s local team, the Tiger-Cats, and even implications for Hamilton Stadium (formerly Tim Horton’s Field).
Some Hamilton Tiger-Cats personnel have already commented on the changes, with former defensive linebacker Simoni Lawrence and current quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in strong support.
Meanwhile, Tiger-Cats Head Coach Scott Milanovich told reporters at a press conference that he does not have an opinion “at this point.”
“I haven’t had five minutes to breathe and think about it,” Milanovich explained.
2026 CHANGES
The three changes announced for the 2026 season are a modified rouge rule, opposite-field team benches, and a 35-second play clock.
The current rouge rule awards a single point for a missed field goal attempt that goes wide and also when a punt or kickoff goes through or rolls out the back or the sides of an endzone without being touched by a returner.
In 2026, that will no longer be the case, and a rouge (single point) will only be awarded if a punt, field goal, or kickoff settles in the endzone and the returner fails to take it out or takes a knee.
The second change will impact the layout of Hamilton Stadium since it requires teams to have their bench areas on opposite sides of the field, eliminating cases where players have to run up to 50 or 60 yards for a substitution.
Currently, both the home and away teams that play in Hamilton have their benches on the west side of the stadium.
For the third change for 2026, a new 35-second play clock will automatically begin as soon as the previous play is whistled dead.
Currently, there is a 20-second play clock, but it does not start until manually initiated by an official.
2027 CHANGES
In 2027, three more changes will be implemented, including moving the field goal posts to the back of endzones rather than their current position at the front, shortening the length of the endzones from 20 to 15 yards, and shortening the length of the field from 110 yards to 100 yards.
The CFL says that those changes will allow passing offences to target the middle of the endzone without worrying about the posts getting in the way and will also make setting for field goals “less attractive.”
LEAGUE REACTION
B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, who grew up in Oakville, was one of the first to respond to the changes, calling them “garbage.”
“I grew up loving this game, and they’re changing that. They’re getting rid of a lot of things,” he said.
Other critics have said that the changes represent an “Americanization” of the Canadian game to make it more like the National Football League (NFL) down in the States.
However, it should be noted that key differences between the CFL and NFL remain.
The CFL has a wider field than the NFL (65 yards compared to 53.3 yards), the CFL allows 12 players from each team on the field at a time compared to 11 in the NFL, the CFL has three downs whereas the NFL has four downs and in the CFL offensive backfield players are allowed to be in motion toward the line of scrimmage before the snap (called the “waggle”).
In terms of reaction from the Tiger-Cats, while Milanovich says he has not spent much time thinking about the changes, he added, “I’m sure I’ll have opinions at some point.”
Meanwhile, Mitchell commented, “I thought the way they presented everything, I thought it was great. I agree with the changes.”
“I understand the love for this game, and I do agree with Nathan [Rourke] – this game is amazing, it’s unique, it’s been around for a very long time.”
“This is not about Americanizing the game; this is about modernizing the game. What can we do to put a better product on the field, a product that people want to watch, that’s a faster pace. This is not taking away the unique things.”
Former Tiger-Cat Lawrence agreed with Mitchell.
Lawrence defended the changes on CHCH’s Morning Live and specifically shared a message to fans.
“Let’s grow together. That’s all life is about is being able to grow and being able to enjoy the new times.”
“It’s just the growth of the football game, and there are people who did real studies to make sure that they’re not doing anything to take away from the game, but add to the game.”
“I’m all about the excitement and the pace of the game, so the new rules help football move faster and be played at a faster pace, and that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he concluded.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
