- 1982 NFL season
Infobox NFL
year = 1982
NFLchampion =Washington Redskins
regular_season =September 12 1982 -January 3 1983
playoffs_start =January 8 1983
AFCchampion =Miami Dolphins
NFCchampion =Washington Redskins
sb_name = XVII
sb_date =January 30 1983
sb_site = Rose Bowl,Pasadena, California
pb_date =February 6 1983 The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd
regular season of theNational Football League . Before the season, a verdict was handed down against the league in the trial brought by theOakland Raiders and theLos Angeles Coliseum back in 1980. The jury ruled that the NFL violated antitrust laws when it declined to approve the proposed move by the team fromOakland, California toLos Angeles . Thus, the league was forced to let the officially renamed "Los Angeles Raiders" play in the second largest city in the United States.The league faced another problem when a 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to 9. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament. Division standings were ignored. Eight teams from each conference were seeded 1-8 based on their regular season records.
The season ended with
Super Bowl XVII when theWashington Redskins defeated theMiami Dolphins .Major rule changes
*The penalty for incidental grabbing of a facemask that is committed by the defensive team is changed from 5 yards and an automatic first down to just 5 yards.
*The penalties for illegally kicking, batting, or punching the ball are changed from 15 yards to 10 yards.
*The league discontinued the 1979 numbering system for officials, with officials numbered separately by position, and reverted back to the original system where each NFL official was assigned a different number. Also the officials' position was now abbreviated on the back of the uniform instead of being spelled out.Final standings
"W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against"
"Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green"
Tiebreakers
*AFC
**Miami finished ahead of Cincinnati based on better conference record (6-1 to Bengals' 6-2).
**Pittsburgh finished ahead of San Diego based on better record against common opponents (3-1 to Chargers' 2-1) after N.Y. Jets were eliminated from three-way tie based on conference record (Pittsburgh and San Diego 5-3 to Jets' 2-3).
**Cleveland finished ahead of Buffalo and Seattle based on better conference record (4-3 to Bills' 3-3 to Seahawks' 3-5).
**Buffalo finished ahead of Seattle based on better conference record (3-3 to Seahawks' 3-5).
*NFC
**Minnesota (4-1), Atlanta (4-3), St. Louis (5-4), Tampa Bay (3-3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games.
**Detroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4-4 to Saints' 3-5 to Giants' 3-5).
**San Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers' 2-3 to Bears' 2-5 to Eagles' 1-5).Playoffs
Round16
RD1=First Round
RD2=Second Round
RD3=Conf. Championship Games
RD4=Super Bowl XVII January 9 -Riverfront Stadium |6) N.Y. Jets|44|3) Cincinnati|17January 8 - L.A. Memorial Coliseum|8) Cleveland|10|1) L.A. Raiders|27January 9 -Three Rivers Stadium |5) San Diego|31|4) Pittsburgh|28January 8 -Miami Orange Bowl |7) New England|13|2) Miami|28January 8 -Lambeau Field |6) St. Louis|16|3) Green Bay|41January 9 -Texas Stadium |7) Tampa Bay|17|2) Dallas|30January 9 - Metrodome|5) Atlanta|24|4) Minnesota|30January 8 -RFK Stadium |8) Detroit|7|1) Washington|31January 15 - L.A. Memorial Coliseum|6) N.Y. Jets|17|1) L.A. Raiders|14January 16 -Miami Orange Bowl |5) San Diego|14|2) Miami|34January 16 -Texas Stadium |3) Green Bay|26|2)Dallas|37January 15 -RFK Stadium |4) Minnesota|7|1) Washington|21January 23 -Miami Orange Bowl |6) N.Y. Jets|0|2) Miami|14January 22 -RFK Stadium |2) Dallas|17|1) Washington|31January 30 - Rose Bowl|A2) Miami|17|N1) Washington|27
3rdplace=noReferences
* "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/1982.pdf 1982 season in details]
* "Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League" (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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