NFL and NHL Rulebooks - Different approaches
I have no idea what caused me to look up the National Hockey Association's Rulebook, but I did this morning, and I easily found a complete copy of the official rules, in .pdf format. A similar search for the National Football Association's Rulebook resulted only in an online "Digest" and I couldn't find a way to do much more than order a complete set of the rules in print, by snailmail.
In the NHL Rulebook, there are, from my quick count, 33 penalties, divided up by the nature of the penalty: Physical Fouls, Stick Fouls etc. Within each penalty is a discussion about what makes it major or minor and what the punishments are.
In the NFL "Digest" there are 83 (or so) infractions listed by the severity of the penalty imposed, not the nature of the misdeed. So there are 5 yard penalties, 10 yard penalties, 15 yards and loss of a coin toss, etc. The definitions of the penalties are in a separate definition section of the Digest, not with the penalty itself.
And your point is, Nina? Well, not much of a point, but as someone who has to read rules all day long, it would be nice if the NFL would read and learn from the NHL when it comes to rule-making. Not that the NFL is lacking in audience interest. But it would be nice to see the rules online and have the penalties laid out in a more logical manner.
