Bill Belichick's fun with receiver eligibility is officially over.
Following a vote Wednesday by the league, the rules regarding a player allowed to report as an eligible receiver were tweaked to all but nullify the formations New England used in the last season's playoff run.
Under the new guidelines, an eligible receiver turned ineligible will have to line up inside the tackle box and will not be permitted to be on the perimeter as a decoy:
Note: An offensive player wearing the number of an eligible pass receiver who reports as ineligible must line up within the tackle box.
Penalty: If a player fails to notify the Referee of a change in his status when required or an offensive player with an eligible number reports as ineligible and lines up outside the tackle box: Loss of five yards for illegal substitution.
