Logic behind 46 player active roster limit? (1 Viewer)

[albionmoonlight]

I have read here and in other places that the 46 nee 45 man roster limit does not make sense. "If you have 53 guys on the roster, why can't you use them all? Why set an artificial limit?"

This question has always made sense to me. I don't get the reasoning behind the limit. But, seeing as the limit survived another CBA negotiation, it clearly has some logic behind it.

So, what is it? Whether you agree with it or not, does anyone know the reason given by proponents of the active roster limit?

 

[BoroSaint]

The rule is in place to keep teams on a level playing field when injuries occur. Say when we play Chicago in week 2, we have 7 guys that can't suit up due to injury. That would leave us with 46 players that week. But Chicago only has 2 injured players...they have 51 "bodies" to play with. Limiting every team to 45 (46 now) active players is suppose to keep every team with the same number of healthy, active players every week. How they arrived at those numbers (45 and 46), I have no clue. They probably conducted studies on average number of injuries.

That is my understanding of the reasoning behind the active player rule.

 

[nowhiners]

The rule is in place to keep teams on a level playing field when injuries occur. Say when we play Chicago in week 2, we have 7 guys that can't suit up due to injury. That would leave us with 46 players that week. But Chicago only has 2 injured players...they have 51 "bodies" to play with. Limiting every team to 45 (46 now) active players is suppose to keep every team with the same number of healthy, active players every week. How they arrived at those numbers (45 and 46), I have no clue. They probably conducted studies on average number of injuries.

That is my understanding of the reasoning behind the active player rule.

Also, they didn't want teams that just had a bye week to have an unfair advantage in regard to healthy players against teams that have not had a bye week.

 

[albionmoonlight]

Great answers. And, now that I understand the logic, I think that I agree with it.

 

[gw504saints]

The rule is in place to keep teams on a level playing field when injuries occur. Say when we play Chicago in week 2, we have 7 guys that can't suit up due to injury. That would leave us with 46 players that week. But Chicago only has 2 injured players...they have 51 "bodies" to play with. Limiting every team to 45 (46 now) active players is suppose to keep every team with the same number of healthy, active players every week. How they arrived at those numbers (45 and 46), I have no clue. They probably conducted studies on average number of injuries.

That is my understanding of the reasoning behind the active player rule.

Now I finally understand that 46 active list.

 

[CajunSaint]

Great answers. And, now that I understand the logic, I think that I agree with it.

Now I finally understand that 46 active list.

Reasons #4,517,956 why this is the greatest website in sports history...hell, in internet history!!!

 

[new city champ]

That's fine, but game day rosters should have been expanded to 50, with an active roster of 55 + a five-player practice squad for a total roster of 60. That would give all squads more game-day flexibility to deal with injuries and allow them to use more specialty players and make the game more exciting. Some talk of this early on when 18-game sked was being discussed.