1984 NFL season

Infobox NFL
year = 1984
NFLchampion = San Francisco 49ers
regular_season = September 2 1984-December 17 1984
playoffs_start = December 23 1984
AFCchampion = Miami Dolphins
NFCchampion = San Francisco 49ers
sb_name = XIX
sb_date = January 20 1985
sb_site = Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California
pb_date = January 27 1985

The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana.

The season ended with Super Bowl XIX when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins. This was the first Super Bowl televised by ABC, who entered into the annual championship game rotation with CBS and NBC.

Major rule changes

*Linebackers are permitted to wear numbers 90-99.
*The penalty for a kickoff or onside kick that goes out of bounds is 5 yards from the previous spot and a re-kick must be made. However, if the second (or more) kickoff or onside kick goes out of bounds, the receiving team may choose instead to take possession of the ball at the out of bounds spot.
*Leaping to try to block a field goal or an extra point is illegal unless the defensive player was lined up at the line of scimmage.
*A kicker or holder who fakes being roughed or run into by a defensive player can receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
*Unsportsmanlike conduct will also by called for any prolonged, excessive, or premeditated celebration by individual players or a group of players. This is usually referred to as the "Mark Gastineau Rule" because a major reason why this change was made was to stop him from performing his signature "Sack Dance" every time after he sacked an opposing quarterback.

Final standings

"W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against"

"Green-shaded teams clinched playoff berths"
"x - clinched wild card berth, y - clinched division title"

References

* "NFL Record and Fact Book" (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
* [http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1981-1990 NFL History 1981-1990] (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
* [http://nflhistory.net/linescores/pdf/1984.pdf 1984 season in details]
* "Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League" (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)