1976 NFL season

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The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This fulfilled one of the conditions agreed to in 1966 for the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, which called for the league to expand to 28 teams by 1970 or soon thereafter.

For this season only, the Seahawks played in the NFC West while the Buccaneers played in the AFC West. (The Seahawks would return to the NFC West with the realignment prior to the 2002 NFL season.)

The season ended with Super Bowl XI when the Oakland Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings.

Contents 1 Major rule changes 2 Final standings 2.1 Tiebreakers 3 Playoffs 4 References

[edit] Major rule changes

• Two 30-seconds clocks, one on each end of the field, will be used for all games. They will be visible to both players and fans to note the official time between the ready-for-play signal and the snap of the ball.
• If the defensive team commits a foul during a failed extra point attempt, the try is replayed and the offensive team has the option to either have the distance penalty assessed on the next try or the ensuing kickoff.
• If the defensive team commits a foul during a successful extra point attempt, the penalty will be assessed on the ensuing kickoff.
• Players cannot grasp the facemask of an opponent. The penalty for an incidental grasp of the facemask is 5 yards. The penalty for twisting, turning, or pulling the facemask is 15 yards. A player can be ejected from the game if the foul is judged to be vicious and/or flagrant.
• A defender is prohibited from running or diving into, or throwing his body against or on a ballcarrier who falls or slips to the ground untouched and makes no attempt to advance, before or after the ball is dead. This is sometimes called as the "Ben Davidson Rule" after the Raiders defender who almost seriously injured quarterback Len Dawson after the Chiefs passer fell to the ground and made no attempt to advance.

[edit] Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Qualified for playoffs

[edit] Tiebreakers

• Baltimore finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on better division record (7-1 to Patriots' 6-2).
• Pittsburgh finished ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• Washington finished ahead of St. Louis in the NFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
• Atlanta finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC West based on better division record (2-4 to Saints' 1-5).

[edit] Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 1976-77

	Divisional Playoffs				Conf. Championship Games				Super Bowl XI
	December 19 - Memorial Stadium
	3) Pittsburgh Steelers	40
					December 26 - Oakland Coliseum
	2) Baltimore Colts	14
					3) Pittsburgh Steelers	7
	December 18 - Oakland Coliseum
					1) Oakland Raiders	24
	4) New England Patriots	21
									January 9 - Rose Bowl
	1) Oakland Raiders	24
									A1) Oakland Raiders	32
	December 19 - Texas Stadium
									N1) Minnesota Vikings	14
	3) Los Angeles Rams	14
					December 26 - Metropolitan Stadium
	2) Dallas Cowboys	12
					3) Los Angeles Rams	13
	December 18 - Metropolitan Stadium
					1) Minnesota Vikings	24
	4) Washington Redskins	20
	1) Minnesota Vikings	35

[edit] References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
• 1976 season in details
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)