When it comes to changing or modifying its rules, the NFL doesn't usually do anything until the offseason, but that's not the case this year, with the league deciding to make a rare in-season rule modification just before the start of the playoffs.

The rule adjustment applies to only one situation, and that's when there's a potential change of possession after a fumble in the end zone. Here's an example of such a play from the NFL: QBA1 is hit while attempting to throw a forward pass and the Referee rules it an incomplete pass. The ball hits the ground and bounces back into the end zone where it goes into a pile of players from both teams. The ball is clearly in the end zone. Replays show that it was a fumble.

Under the old rule, if there was no clear recovery, the play would be ruled an incomplete pass, even if it was obvious that the quarterback fumbled. Under the new rule that will take effect starting with this weekend's wild-card games, the defensive team will be awarded a safety if there's no clear recovery.

Watch Saturday's night game and Sunday's games on fuboTV, try it for free, and stream all the CBS games on CBS All Access.

From the rulebook:

There is no clear recovery by [the defensive team], so a touchdown cannot be awarded. However, someone recovered the ball in the end zone, so it is at least a safety. The on-field ruling of incomplete is therefore reversed to a safety.

This isn't a big change, but it's one that definitely had to be made. Although this exact situation has never taken place in an NFL game, the league would be criticized for weeks if they blew a simple call like this, especially in a playoff game. Imagine if Tom Brady clearly fumbled the ball into the end zone during the fourth quarter of a one-score playoff game and officials gave the Patriots the ball back because the rulebook said the fumble had to be ruled an incomplete pass; all hell would break loose. Now, that won't happen.