If you’re an avid pro football fan, you might be wary of what most around the league call the “Brice Butler” rule.
The rule is intended to stop teams from intentionally tricking teams from sending players on and off the field.
Illegal Substitution in the NFL, Explained
The rule surrounding illegal substitutions gets quite murky relative to its definition: “An offensive substitute who moves onto the field inside the numbers and leaves without participating in one play is committing a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Aside from this, another part of the rule discusses coming into the huddle, communicating with a teammate, and then leaving, but really, once a player’s inside the numbers and then leaves but doesn’t impact the play whatsoever, that’s going to be the foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.”
The rule will forever be associated with then-Dallas Cowboys receiver Brice Butler because there’s no certainty he communicated with anyone once inside the huddle before breaking and costing the Cowboys. This is where the rule drew angst from fans and coaches alike regarding the inconsistency in how this rule is enforced.
Below is the full verbiage of the rule:
Any offensive substitute who is entering the game:
a) must move onto the field of play or the end zone as far as the inside of the field numerals prior to the snap to be a legal substitution. If he does not and is on the field of play or end zone at the time of a legal snap, he is an illegal substitute.
(b) If he approaches the huddle and communicates with a teammate, he is required to participate in at least one play before being withdrawn. Violations of this rule may be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That first part of the rule’s only relevant when a player is trying to sneak onto the field. That second part of the rule is where things might get subjective in terms of communicating with a teammate.