Pro Football HOF Changes Selection Bylaws, Reduces HC Waiting Period to 1 Season

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced a series of changes to its bylaws governing the annual selection process.

Per the official release, the most notable change will reduce the wait for retired coaches from five seasons to one season out of the sport.

The other key change is the creation of two new 11-person screening committees who will review the full list of nominees in the modern-era players and senior categories each year.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president & CEO Jim Porter issued a statement about the changes included in the announcement:

“The first pillar of the Mission statement at the Pro Football Hall of Fame states we will ‘Honor the Greatest of the Game.’ One important way to do that is through an annual review of the Selection Process and the people involved in it. Forming two Screening Committees will bring added discussion of candidates, with input from more Hall of Famers,” he said. “And splitting the Coach and Contributor categories allows for a Finalist from each one. What’s most important is continuing to elect great classes of enshrinees, and these moves help ensure that desired outcome.”

The screening committees will be tasked with reducing the list of nominees in the modern-era and senior wing down to 50 candidates.

After the 50 candidates are determined, they will be sent to the modern-era and senior selection committees. None of the individuals on the screening committees are part of the selection committees.

The Hall of Fame is also adding a coach blue-ribbon committee and a contributor blue-ribbon committee to reflect a split in those two categories moving forward.

The change to make retired coaches only wait one year for inclusion on the ballot could potentially help more candidates get in. It’s often easier to assess what a player has accomplished even if they have been retired for five seasons.

Given how quickly styles and schemes can change in the NFL, it might be more difficult to assess a coach’s impact if they have been out of the sport for five years unless they obviously belong in.

Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, for example, are locks for the Hall of Fame that it doesn’t matter how long the waiting period is when they eventually retire.

It also seems likely that coaches who choose to retire will stay retired. There will certainly be exceptions to the rule. Bill Parcells retired as a head coach three different times before it stuck, though he did go on to have a front-office role with the Miami Dolphins and advisory role with the Cleveland Browns after he stopped coaching.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame anticipates the revisions could lead to classes featuring anywhere from four to eight individuals, but the 80-percent approval threshold will likely keep it between five or six new members annually.