NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, right, laughs along with Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons president and CEO and co-chairman of the competition committee, during a news conference at the annual NFL football meetings at the Arizona Biltmore, Wednesday, March 20, 2013, in Phoenix. Rich McKay, right, President and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and co-chairman of the NFL competition committee, speaks on the new rule changes voted on by NFL owners, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, and St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, the other co-chairman of the NFL competition committee, both listen in at the annual NFL football meetings at the Arizona Biltmore, Wednesday, March 20, 2013, in Phoenix. PHOENIX (AP) - If it was good enough for football's greatest running back, NFL owners figure, it should work in the 21st century. Team owners passed a player safety rule Wednesday barring ball carriers from using the crown of their helmets to make forcible contact with a defender in the open field. Pittsburgh Steelers President Art Rooney put the change succinctly. "Jim Brown never lowered his head," he said with a smile. And according to the rules, it must be done beginning this season. The second significant player safety rule passed this week to help protect defensive players came with much debate. Several coaches and team executives expressed concern about officiating the new rule, but Commissioner Roger Goodell championed it and it passed 31-1. Cincinnati voted no. On Tuesday, the league took the peel-back block out of the game. The changes were the latest involving safety, and head injuries in particular, with the issue receiving heightened attention amid hundreds of lawsuits filed by former players claiming that the NFL did not do enough to prevent concussions in years past. League officials have defended the NFL's record and did so again on Wednesday. "I have always thought that player safety has been at the forefront of our discussion for a long, long time," said Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee that recommends rule changes. The game has gotten safer over time. Where we have really focused is on the big hits, the open field hits and hits where players truly can't defend themselves. In this step that we are taking we are trying to protect the player from himself with respect to this rule. The tuck rule, one of the most criticized in pro football, was eliminated. The Steelers were the only team to vote against getting rid of the tuck rule. Peel-back blocks had been legal inside the tackle box, but now players can't turn back toward their goal line and block an opponent low from behind anywhere on the field. Video review now will be allowed when a coach challenges a play that he is not allowed to. The penalty will be 15 yards from the spot of the foul, and if the offensive and defensive players both lower their heads and use the crown of the helmet to make contact, each will be penalized. Goodell announced that the Pro Bowl will be held in Honolulu on Jan. 26, the Sunday before the Super Bowl. The commissioner has considered scrapping the all-star game, but was satisfied with the level of performance in this year's matchup, won 62-25 by the NFC. He added that the system for choosing the players won't change, but some consideration has been given to having team captains select their rosters, rather than an AFC vs. NFC format. The Rooney Rule that requires every team to interview at least one minority candidate when there is a coaching or general manager opening was discussed at length. This year, with eight coaching vacancies and seven for GMs, no minority candidates was hired. Goodell said he was disappointed in those results and would like to see more flexibility when teams ask to interview candidates whose clubs still are playing. "One of the major focuses we've had was that we are going to reinstate the symposium program that we've had in the past," Goodell said. That was primarily focused on coaches but we are likely to have some potential GM candidates also attend with the coaches. The owners also approved tight ends and H-backs wearing numbers between 40 and 49. Previously, they were supposed to have numbers in the 80s.