NFL 2013-14 IS ALMOST UPON US. NFL RULES CHANGES NEEDED NOW TO BETTER THE GAME.

In 2 weeks and 6 days, that's only 20 days, the NFL kicks off its 94th season as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Denver Broncos (8:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

Here are the rules the NFL needs to become a better sport, rules that emphasizes athleticism over size, rules that would establish consistency.
The NFL has too many rules. The sport has become a legal practice interrupted by occasional fits of athletic play.

[1] ELIMINATION OF CLOCK STOPPAGE AND TIME OUTS
NFL owners should rid the game of timeouts as well as clock stoppages except for the times after punts, kicks offs and coaches challenges. Serious injury should be the another reason for time stoppage.

There is no reason to have timeouts in a sport where time is off the clock more than it is out. There is no reason for the clock to stop when calling penalties or balls going out bounds.

[2] ELIMINATION OF SPIKING THE BALL TO KILL THE CLOCK
Of course, if rule 1 above went into effect, there would be no need for this rule.

Also, I'd like see an end to spiking the ball to stop the clock. The QB is inside the tackle box. At minimum, spiking should be called grounding because that is what it is, already! As with grounding, spiking should be a five yard penalty and loss of down. Too many bogus games have been won by exploiting an illogical, inconsistent flaw in the rules.

[3] LEGITIMIZING THE FORWARD PASS
So if this rule would go into effect, there would be no need for rule 2 above.

The NFL owners failed with their new Tuck Rule as well. The best way to deal with this is simply make it a requirement that a pass must cross the line of scrimmage to be a forward pass. Anytime a ball leaves a player's hand behind the line of scrimmage, the ball should be considered a lateral and live if it hits the ground with the chance for the defense then to gain possession from the fumble.

If a running back takes a pitch and mishandles the pitch or later drops the ball while behind the line of scrimmage, NFL rules considers that a fumble. Yet, if a running back takes the same pitch, he can throw forward beyond the line of scrimmage and that throw gets called a forward pass.