Whenever the NFL announces new rule changes, both on and off the field, they risk upsetting football fans. 

Obviously, the league tries to improve the game year on year and recently, it actually seems that they're doing that.

SOME OF THE BEST NFL RULES

Just last year, the NFL put the fun back into football by relaxing touchdown celebration rules, which is something fans love. 

Ahead of 2018, changes have been made to catches, with the requirement to "survive the ground" now being eliminated, which should clear up a few of the most controversial plays. 

Most importantly, the league also implements rules to protect its players and next season, there will be penalties for those who lower their head to initiate and make contact with their helmets. 

Now, all of these are examples of how rule changes can be good for the NFL - and improve the game. 

But just this week, another rule has been added ahead of 2018 and this one is very bizarre. 

SNOW PLAYS

From next season, players will not be allowed to clear away any snow before starting a play that involves a kick or a punt.

They would do so in order to help out the kicker, giving them better footing before the kick. But from 2018, any players caught doing that will cost their team 15 yards. 

There was actually an example of this last season, during week 14, when the Buffalo Bills hosted the Indianapolis Colts.

BILLS VS COLTS

With one minute to play in the fourth quarter, in blizzard conditions, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri needed to tie the game with a PAT. 

But before he took the kick, almost every other Colt on the pitch stood around him, clearing away the snow to ensure he had the best chance of making the important kick. 

Under the toughest conditions of his career, Vinatieri was able to convert - thanks, in no small part, to his teammates that cleared the snow. 

Now, oddly, we won't be seeing anything like that in 2018. 

Of all the issues surrounding the NFL right now - "snow-clearing" certainly wasn't the biggest.   

Still though, for all the good rule changes that the league implements, there are bound to be a few that just seem a bit ridiculous. 

Do YOU think that the NFL needed to add a rule over "snow-clearing"? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.