The season ended with Super Bowl XIII when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys .
- To open up the passing game, defenders are permitted to make contact with receivers only to a point of five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Previously, contact was allowed anywhere on the field. This is usually referred to as the " Mel Blount Rule"
- The offensive team may only make one forward pass during a play from scrimmage, but only if the ball does not cross the line and return behind the line prior to the pass.
- Double touching of a forward pass is legal, but batting a pass toward toward's the opponent's end zone is illegal. Previously, a second offensive player could not legally catch a deflected pass unless a defensive player had touched it. This is usually referred to as the " Mel Renfro Rule". During a play in Super Bowl V , Baltimore Colts receiver Eddie Hinton tipped a pass intended for him. Renfro, the Cowboys defensive back, made a stab at the ball and it was ruled that he tipped it ever so slightly (which he denied) into the arms of Colts tight end John Mackey , who ran for a touchdown. Later, this rule was also the one in question during the Immaculate Reception in 1972. But despite these two incidents, the rule change did not occur until this season.
- The pass blocking rules were extended to permit extended arms and open hands.
- The penalty for intentional grounding is reduced from a loss of down and 15 yards to a loss of down and 10 yards from the previous spot (or at the spot of the foul if the spot is 10 yards or more behind the line of scrimmage). If the passer commits the foul in his own end zone, the defense scores a safety.
- Hurdling is no longer a foul.
- A seventh official, the Side Judge, is added to the officiating crew to help rule on legalities downfield.
''W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against''
''Note: Teams current name is included within the () if its name/location has been changed''
- New England finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on better division record (6-2 to Dolphins' 5-3).
- Buffalo finished ahead of Baltimore in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
- Oakland, Seattle, and San Diego finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively, in the AFC West based on better record against common opponents (6-2 to Seahawks' 5-3 and Chargers' 4-4).
- Minnesota finished ahead of in the NFC Central Green Bay based on better head-to-head record (1-0-1).
- Detroit finished ahead of Chicago in the NFC Central based on better division record (4-4 to Bears' 3-5).
- Atlanta was the first NFC Wild Card based on better conference record than Philadelphia (8-4 to Eagles' 6-6).
- St. Louis finished ahead of N.Y. Giants in the NFC East based on better division record (3-5 to Giants' 2-6).
See Also: NFL playoffs, 1978-79
- ''NFL Record and Fact Book'' (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1971-1980 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- 1978 season in details
- ''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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