NFL: Suspensions more likely for illegal hits

The NFL will be more aggressive in suspending players next season for illegal hits, and also could make changes to instant replay and kickoffs.

Ray Anderson, the league's chief disciplinarian, says repeat offenders or players committing flagrant illegal hits will have a much greater chance of being suspended during the 2011 season.

No suspensions were handed down in 2010 even after the NFL's crackdown on such hits, in part because “we were operating under the principle unless you have given sufficent advance notice of what the results could be, you need to be more lenient.”

The league's competition committee will propose at next week's owners meetings moving the kickoff up to the 35 and bringing a touchback out to the 25. It also will propose making all scoring plays reviewable by the replay official.