NFL Rule Changes: What Passed, What Didn't And How It Affects The Game - SB Nation

By Ryan Van Bibber

The NFL made another round of rule changes this week. How will the new rules impact the game and the fan experience?

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Mar 29, 2012 - NFL owners made another round of rule changes on Wednesday morning, passing five of seven possible changes. Six bylaw changes also came before owners for a vote, but five of the six were tabled for further study with a vote coming in May.

The new rules continue the league's dance with making the game safer and more competitive while maintaining traces of the violence that makes the sport unique. However, competition outweighed safety in this round of changes, and those changes should give fans something to grumble about right away. The potential changes to the bylaws could have the most impact, especially if the league moves to up its own hot stove action by pushing the trade deadline back by two weeks.

Related: How will proposed rule changes affect the game?

Horse collar tackle exemption does not pass: Mention the words "player safety" to some NFL fans and you are liable to touch a nerve and set off a rant about the good old days of leather helmets. Regardless of where you come down on the equitable distribution of scoring and hitting, recent rule changes have provided players more protections. That made the owners' decision not to remove the exemption that allows defenders to bring down a quarterback in the pocket with a horse collar tackle surprising.

Quarterbacks are among the most protected players in the league, and highest paid. Many thought that the competition committee would propose even more protections for quarterback safety. So why did owners opt to pass on affording them one more safeguard?

"We watched the tape and didn't feel that was a change that was also fair to the defender," competition committee chairman Rich McKay explained. "The defender in the pocket is fighting off an offensive player, grabbing and just trying to do everything he can."

Chalk one up for the defense. I have no doubt that pass rushers will stop and think to themselves, "I might as well go ahead and serve this suspension for a bogus roughing the passer call; Goodell took care of me with that whole horse collar thing last March."

Replay remains on the field, but turnovers now included: The other rule change rejected by owners was a proposal submitted by the Buffalo Bills to take video reviews out of the hands of the ref on the field and send it upstairs to the officials in the booth. On the surface, it seems like that rule would simplify things, perhaps even sawing off a few minutes of game time with all the back and forth refs and coaches have to do. The rumor mill said that teams had concerns about replay officials being less experienced than refs, and so the resolution did not pass.

Starting in 2012 turnovers will be subject to automatic video review, similar to what the league did with scoring plays last year. Don't worry, that change is not expected to make the games last longer, McKay said.

"When you see it, it feels like it would slow the game down because you are taking what would be a challenge and taking it upstairs for confirmation," McKay said. "We didn't see that in the scoring plays, and we think in the turnovers, it will have the same effect."

Regular season overtime rules change: A change to the overtime rules is likely to make games run longer, at least overtime games. Gone are the days where winning the coin flip nearly guaranteed a win, with a team needing only to put the ball in field goal range. The new overtime rules will work just like the overtime rules in the playoffs.

Expanding the crackback block rules: The only change to the rules regarding player safety was an expansion of the crackback block rules. Now, defenseless players are protected from hits upstairs, affording their heads and necks the same level of protection as their knees.

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Given the league's concern over concussions, modifying crackback blocks makes sense. The trick here is enforcement. Every officiating crew is going to call this one a little differently. To call this one fairly and accurately, refs are going to have to closely see where players get hit, since the rule shrinks the legal area of contact. Just how much variation in calling or not calling crackback blocks will determine the level of frustrations fans and teams experience.

NFL trade deadline proposal tabled until May: The one hallmark of the NFL trade deadline over the years was the fact that it was nothing like baseball's trade deadline period. Teams rarely, if ever, made deals, and when they did it was mostly just to swap spare parts and role players. That could be changing in 2012 if owners approve a proposal to move the trade deadline back from Week 6 to Week 8.

Explaining the proposed changes ahead of the owners meeting, McKay acknowledged that the league expects more trading in the spring and ahead of the deadline. Pushing back the deadline would allow teams more time to assess needs and hammer out deals.

Just how popular will more trading be? Every year interest in the NFL draft and free agency grows exponentially. Adding a third act in the NFL's hot stove drama in the fall might break the Internet.

Injured reserve exemption: The other big ticket item from the tabled bylaw changes is offering teams an injured reserve exemption. Under the current rules, if a player is hurt in the preseason or early in the season, their year is finished if a team puts them on IR, even if they could return in the dwindling weeks of the season, like say for a playoff push.

Under the proposed bylaw change, which owners will vote on in May, teams could designate one player to return after a minimum of eight weeks. It's a smart change that would help make sure premium players, premium draws, are not off the field for an entire season. In truth, the league should change its IR rules to allow this for all players, rather than just one designated player under the current proposal. It could make the season's end more interesting as teams battling for a playoff spot get reinforcements back into the mix. For teams that have already been eliminated from the hunt, having injured players return could at least make those late season games more competitive.

Roster changes will be voted on in May: Another pair of proposed bylaw changes could also have an impact on a team's roster. One would grant one weekly exemption for a player with a concussion. Another would bump up the offseason roster limit from 80 to 90 players, but undrafted rookies would then count toward that limit.

The only bylaw change that passed was one modifying roster rules for teams playing on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The others will get a further look in May, after the league addresses some concerns and suggestions made about the others. The league also wants them blessed by the union before passing them.

"No, there were some really good ideas and suggestions," McKay said. "There is not necessarily resistance. We have just got to work on the language a little bit. They do not need to be passed today. We will pass them in May, we will deal with them and we will show them to the union and do all the normal steps."

For more on the NFL rules and bylaws changes, visit this StoryStream.

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O'Brien out; QB competition at Penn State heats up - Philadelphia Inquirer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The three quarterbacks battling for Penn State's No. 1 job probably were too busy absorbing rapid-fire instruction from new head coach Bill O'Brien on the team's first day of spring practice to realize there was someone watching from the sidelines who might have competed for the position.

Former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien did his best to remain incognito on the sideline, wearing a borrowed Penn State jacket to deal with the brisk northwest wind, while continuing his evaluation process to determine which school would best fit his talents for his final two years of eligibility.

O'Brien ended the suspense Wednesday by announcing that he had chosen Wisconsin in what he called "a very tough decision" over Penn State.

And the Nittany Lions are left with holdover starter Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden and Paul Jones, who is hoping to be in the mix after being academically ineligible last year.

Bill O'Brien has announced that there is "an open competition" for the starting job.

"There won't be a starter named until possibly the night before the [Sept. 1] Ohio game," O'Brien said. "So there's no starter right now at that position."

That may not be music to the ears of McGloin and Bolden, who battled for the starting job much of the last two seasons. They were often kept in the dark last year by Joe Paterno and quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno as to who would start until close to game day.

The three front-runners, as well as three other upperclassmen quarterbacks plus incoming freshman Steven Beach, who will be reporting as soon as he graduates from high school, will have to learn a new offense based on what O'Brien ran as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.

They will be judged solely on what O'Brien sees. The new head coach has opted not to watch any tape of last year's offense because "I really wanted to start with a clean slate with these guys."

The Penn State offense was one of the worst in the Big Ten last season, finishing in the bottom three in the conference in five categories. Nationally, out of 120 FBS schools, the Lions were 110th in scoring and 112th in pass efficiency.

O'Brien said he disliked the word "controversy" and that he hopes for a good competition among the QBs.

"We want to give each one of them an equal amount of reps with the first team and the second team and keep stats," he said. "We want to make it as scientific as possible, keep scrimmage stats, keep 7-on-7 stats and talk to them about completion percentage, decision-making, accuracy that go into being a starting quarterback.

"When we go to make a decision on who starts the football game, it'll be an educated decision and a fair decision."

The decision will be made without Danny O'Brien, who became the second quarterback to graduate from an Atlantic Coast Conference school and go to Wisconsin. Russell Wilson came over last year from North Carolina State and helped lead the Badgers to the Big Ten title.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound O'Brien, from Kernersville, N.C., wanted to see Penn State practice before finalizing his decision. He said he had "a pretty tight relationship with coach O'Brien, and he's going to do some great things there."

"But there was no denying after I took the Wisconsin visit, especially after talking with my family, that Wisconsin was home," he said.

O'Brien passed for more than 2,400 yards in 2010 and was named ACC rookie of the year but struggled under new Maryland head coach Randy Edsall last season and broke his non-throwing arm late in the year.

Contact Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com or follow him on Twitter @joejulesinq.

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No. 1 Azarenka suffers first loss of 2012; Venus' return ends - CNN

Victoria Azarenka rose to the top of the world rankings after winning January's Australian Open.Victoria Azarenka suffers her first loss of 2012 to Marion Bartoli at the Miami MastersWorld No. 1 Azarenka had started the year with a 26-match winning streakPolish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska into the last four after beating Venus WilliamsTwo-time Miami champion Kim Clijsters to be sidelined for a month with hip injury

(CNN) -- Women's tennis No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is looking forward to more success despite the end of her perfect start to 2012.

The Belorussian had won 26 successive matches going into Wednesday's Miami Masters quarterfinal -- the best start to a season since Martina Hingis went 37-0 in 1997.

However, the Australian Open champion suffered a shock defeat by French seventh seed Marion Bartoli, who will face world No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska in Thursday's semis after the Pole ended the comeback of Venus Williams.

"What I've done in the last couple of months, I have to be really proud of myself," the 22-year-old Azarenka told the tournament's official website after her 6-3 6-3 loss.

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Defending champion Azarenka had won eight of her previous 10 meetings with the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, including January's Sydney International where Bartoli lost despite leading in both sets.

"I was up 5-2 in the first set and 4-1 in the second set, and I lost both," the 27-year-old Bartoli said. "So I knew I had to stay really mentally tough and not show her anything.

"Even when I lost those three games in a row, I didn't get down on myself -- I had this positive energy. I was able to turn the match around again and step inside the court and play some great points."

Fifth seed Radwanska booked her place in the last four with a commanding 6-4 6-1 win over former world No. 1 Williams, who was playing in her first tournament for seven months.

Seven-time grand slam winner Williams had not played on the WTA Tour since withdrawing from last year's U.S. Open, having been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome -- an incurable condition which causes pain in the joints and fatigue.

"I didn't have a good day," said the 31-year-old Williams, who has won the tournament three times andw as runner-up in 2010. "Unfortunately, I just couldn't press the issue. I don't feel like she did anything special. I just couldn't. I couldn't get myself to do it today.

"If I'm not feeling my best, then it becomes mental and I have to fight, and you have to fight and fight and fight. Today I just I didn't conquer it mentally. I have to be there mentally more than the next player."

The winner of the Radwanska-Bartoli evening match will take on either former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki or four-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova, who meet in Thursday's opening semifinal.

Meanwhile, two-time Miami champion Kim Clijsters is facing four weeks out after injuring her right hip during her third-round defeat to fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

"The current prognosis is that Kim will have to recover for four weeks first," read a statement on the four-time grand slam winner's website. " As soon as she has returned to Belgium, she will have additional tests."

The 28-year-old is aiming to return at the Madrid Masters in May ahead of the season's second grand slam event, the French Open.

March 29, 2012 -- Updated 1426 GMT (2226 HKT) He used to be found slugging it out for major tennis titles on the Centre Court turf at Wimbledon -- now Mark Philippoussis laps up the surf in San Diego.March 21, 2012 -- Updated 1416 GMT (2216 HKT) The Williams sisters have not had it easy in recent years, but Venus is ready to follow Serena and return to the court after a long absence.March 19, 2012 -- Updated 1414 GMT (2214 HKT) You can't imagine that one of the greatest players in tennis history has ever lacked confidence, but Roger Federer is bubbling with it again.March 19, 2012 -- Updated 1354 GMT (2154 HKT) World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka talks to CNN's Mark McKay after winning the Indian Wells title to be 23-0 this year. March 15, 2012 -- Updated 1531 GMT (2331 HKT) Mahesh Bhupathi is best known in tennis for his many successes as a doubles specialist, but now he's playing a new role.February 22, 2012 -- Updated 1607 GMT (0007 HKT) Sania Mirza was India's first female player to break into the WTA Top 30 in singles, and the first to win a WTA title.February 27, 2012 -- Updated 1047 GMT (1847 HKT) Somdev Devvarman is the only Indian male singles player to currently rank in the ATP Top 100. February 22, 2012 -- Updated 1607 GMT (0007 HKT) Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj talks about his family's contribution to Indian tennis.February 16, 2012 -- Updated 1020 GMT (1820 HKT) Novak Djokovic's domination of men's tennis has made him a hero in his homeland, where he has been awarded Serbia's highest honor.February 14, 2012 -- Updated 1226 GMT (2026 HKT) The life of a tennis professional is tough, but the rewards are plentiful -- and not just in a financial sense.January 27, 2012 -- Updated 1557 GMT (2357 HKT) Maria Sharapova means business when she steps onto a tennis court. And the Australian Open finalist is also becoming a big player off it.January 26, 2012 -- Updated 1314 GMT (2114 HKT) Caroline Wozniacki doesn't like losing -- and it's a trait that the tennis star's nearest and dearest also possess. Today's five most popular stories
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Will Augusta National Have It's First Female Member? - WLTX.com

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'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,' says Woods' former coach - CNN

'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,' says Woods' former coach - CNN.comvar cnnCurrTime=new Date(1333031449000),cnnCurrHour=10,cnnCurrMin=30,cnnCurrDay="Thu",cnnIsIntl=false,clickID=211911,cnn_cvpAdpre="",cnnCVPAdSectionT1="cnn.com_whatson_living_golf_t1",cnnCVPAdSectionInPage="cnn.com_whatson_living_golf_inpage",cnnShareUrl="%2F2012%2F03%2F28%2Fsport%2Fgolf%2Ftiger-woods-haney-book%2Findex.html",cnnShareTitle="'An%20incredible%20champion%20-%20but%20very%2C%20very%20complex%2C'%20says%20Woods'%20former%20coach",cnnShareDesc="",cnnFirstPub=new Date('Wednesday Mar 28 03:02:07 EDT 2012'),cnnSectionName="iSport",cnnSubSectionName="Golf",cnnPageType="Story",cnnBrandingValue="default";cnnPartnerValue="/tv/piersmorgan";cnnOmniBranding="",cnnAuthor="Matthew Knight, CNN",disqus_category_id=207582,disqus_identifier="/2012/03/28/sport/golf/tiger-woods-haney-book/index.html",disqus_title="'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,' says Woods' former coach",cnn_edtnswtchver="www",cnnIsStoryPage=true,cnn_metadata = {};cnn_metadata = {section: ["iSport","Golf"],friendly_name: "'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,' says Woods' former coach",template_type: "content",template_type_content: "partner",business: {cnn: {page: {author: "Matthew Knight, CNN",broadcast_franchise: "",video_embed_count: "2",publish_date: "2012/03/28",photo_gallery: "Coach Hank Haney releases Tiger Woods book"},video: {video_player: ""}}},user: {authenticated: "",segment: {age: "",zip: "",gender: ""}}};if (typeof(cnnOmniPartner) !== "undefined") {if (cnn_metadata.template_type_content === "") {cnn_metadata.template_type_content = "partner";}}var photo_gallery = "Coach Hank Haney releases Tiger Woods book";Event.observe(window,'load',function(){window.setTimeout("cnn_strysavemrv()",500);});function cnn_strysavemrv(){saveMrvUrl('\'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,\' says Woods\' former coach - CNN.com',cnn_strysaveurl);}if(typeof CNN==='undefined'){var CNN=Class.create();}CNN.expandableMap=[''];function _loginOptions(){};var disqus_url=(typeof disqus_identifier!=='undefined') ? 'http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/sport/golf/tiger-woods-haney-book/index.html' : 'http://www.cnn.com'+location.pathname;cnnad_newTileIDGroup(['607x95_adlinks','336x280_adlinks']); SET EDITION: ?U.S. INTERNATIONAL MéXICO ARABIC TV: ? CNN CNNi CNN en Espa?ol HLN Sign up Log in Home TV & Video NewsPulse U.S. World Politics Justice Entertainment Tech Health Living Travel Opinion iReport Money Sports World Sport Home Football Golf Tennis Motorsport Sailing Olympics Analysis Share this on: Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon LinkedIn 'An incredible champion - but very, very complex,' says Woods' former coachSee show times ?By Matthew Knight, CNNupdated 9:04 AM EDT, Thu March 29, 2012if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(6);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Ex-coach tells all", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}Tiger Woods' former swing coach Hank Haney has released a book about his time working with the 14-time major champion.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Ex-coach tells all"}Haney says that Woods's former wife Elin Nordegren did not know anything about the golfer's extramarital affairs which ended in their divorce.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Sex scandal"}Haney says Woods' former caddy Steve Williams would have intervened if he had known about the American's off-course antics.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Caddy kept quiet?"}Haney says he texted Woods at the end of their partnership in 2010 expressing unhappiness that they did not seem like close friends.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Friends?"}Haney defended himself from criticism by Phil Mickelson's former coach Rick Smith, right, who said the book violated traditional trust in such a relationship.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"\'I didn\'t violate any agreement\'"}Haney is now focused on his coaching schools, including his International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"Still teaching"}HIDE CAPTIONEx-coach tells allSex scandalCaddy kept quiet?Friends?'I didn't violate any agreement'Still teaching<<<123456>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Coach Hank Haney releases Tiger Woods book");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTSTiger Woods' former swing coach publishes book detailing their time togetherHank Haney coached Woods from 2004 to 2010Haney criticized for reveal some private text messages sent to the former world No.1 Haney says Woods putting form bodes well for Woods quest for a fifth Masters title

(CNN) -- "Any time you're around greatness, like I was for six years, and you see it at close quarters, you're asked about it."

Tiger Woods' former swing coach Hank Haney says it happens wherever he goes.

With the former world No. 1 back in the headlines for the right reasons, the publication of "The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods" is Haney's chance to tell a few more people.

Haney joined Woods' team in 2004 and knew he'd "catch some flack" for penning the book, but he wanted to share his memories of a person he describes as very complex.

"I mean very, very complex. He's an incredible champion. You know, he's different. But I expected that," Haney told CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight.

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The 14-time major winner is no stranger to success at the Bay Hill tournament, having tasted victory there on a record six previous occasions.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":1,"title":"Seventh heaven"}Woods picked up his first win at the tournament hosted by seven-time major winner Arnold Palmer in 2000, beating fellow American Davis Love III by four shots.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":2,"title":"The first of many"}Woods retained his title in 2001, finishing the tournament 18 under par.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":3,"title":"Back-to-back wins"}And Woods was once again victorious at Bay Hill in 2002, sealing a hat-trick of wins at the event.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":4,"title":"Hat-trick"}In 2003, Woods became the first player to win the same tournament four years in a row since Gene Sarazen at the Miami Open in 1930 as he triumphed by a huge 11 shots.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":5,"title":"Record win"}Woods' fifth win at Bay Hill came in 2008 courtesy of a 25-putt on the final hole. It was the American's third successive PGA Tour victory that year, and fifth in a row going back to 2007. He won two out of three before that run, tying for second in the other. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":6,"title":"Five star"}Wood sealed another one-shot win at Bay Hill in 2009, beating fellow American Sean O'Hair.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":3,"pos":7,"title":"Six appeal"}Seventh heavenThe first of manyBack-to-back winsHat-trickRecord winFive starSix appealHIDE CAPTION<<<1234567>>>Tiger Woods' Bay Hill victoriesEvent.observe(window, 'load', function() {//report the first gallery image to ADBPif(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') {cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, "Coach Hank Haney releases Tiger Woods book");}});"I mean, when you see somebody that's as great as Tiger Woods, there's probably a reason for it. And you wouldn't expect him to be the same as everyone else."

Haney spent over 100 days in the company of Woods every year, even staying at his Florida home on occasions.

With regular phone conversations, it amounted to the closest relationship Haney has ever had with a player. But they were never really close, according to Haney.

"Tiger is pretty closed off. You don't really get a lot of communication from him, or deep conversations," he said.

The book reflects "exactly what happened" during their time together right down to publication of some text messages Haney sent to Woods.

"I feel like I've been a great friend to you. I don't feel like I've gotten that in return," reads one.

It's a move which has come in for criticism from some fellow coaches.

Rick Smith, former coach of Phil Mickelson, recently said: "I'd rather be broke and not have a penny to my name before I violate the code of player/teacher confidentiality. For all the guys who've committed their lives to teaching, this should be very upsetting."

But Haney rejects charges of betrayal saying the book is honest and fair.

"Those rules are not written rules. Those might be rules that Rick and obviously some other people think are rules. But I wasn't bound by any agreement. I didn't violate any agreement," Haney said.

I mean very, very complex. He's an incredible champion. You know, he's different. But I expected that
Hank Haney, Tiger Woods former swing coachThe "great friend" text was sent when he resigned and reflects what Haney believes to be the truth.

"I always gave an answer that was in the best interest of Tiger Woods. And I didn't feel like that happened in return," Haney said.

But there wasn't one single thing which made him want to terminate their relationship.

"We had a great time together. Tiger won a lot of tournaments. He won 45% of his tournaments the last three years I worked with him," Haney said.

"It was just time for me to go. You know, I had a great time. It was the greatest opportunity a coach or teacher could have. I'm very thankful for it."

Haney was "shocked" when the scandal about Woods' personal life broke in November 2009.

"I didn't know anything. Steve Williams, his caddy, didn't know anything. And obviously Elin, Tiger's wife at the time, didn't know anything," he said.

"I don't think it would be my place necessarily as a coach (to have said something), but it would be my place, I feel like, as a friend. I certainly would have said something and I know Steve Williams would have said something too."

Tiger is pretty closed off. You don't really get a lot of communication from him, or deep conversations
Hank HaneyHaney detects that a post-scandal Woods may have "softened" but says he's getting back to his best.

"He's definitely striking the ball well. I mean, he finished first in greens in regulation, which for the years that I worked with Tiger, I thought that was a key statistic. He was always first in greens in regulation, or near the top."

But it's his recent improvement on the greens which Haney thinks will be key to success in the coming weeks.

"The great thing about Bay Hill to me was that his putting was good. He finished fourth in putting. That's a key statistic. Every player that's won on the PGA tour this year has finished top 10 in putting," he said.

"And going to Augusta, that's the most important thing. Tiger would have won five or six green jackets in a row if he would have fewer than, you know, two three-putts for the 72 holes.

"So if he can avoid three-putts at Augusta, he'll be very difficult to beat. He's great on that golf course. It fits his game."

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Share this on: Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon LinkedIn We recommendvar cnn_oburlStr=location.pathname+'';cnn_oburlStr=(cnn_oburlStr.indexOf('?') > -1) ? cnn_oburlStr.substr(0,cnn_oburlStr.indexOf('?')) : cnn_oburlStr;var OutbrainPermaLink='http://www.cnn.com'+cnn_oburlStr;var OB_Template="cnn";var OB_langJS='http://widgets.outbrain.com/lang_en.js';var OB_widgetId='AR_1';if (typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined'){OutbrainStart();}else{var OB_Script=true;var str="From around the webcnnad_newTileIDGroup(['607x95_adlinks','336x280_adlinks']);cnnad_createAd("608731","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=336x850_rgt&cnn_rollup=world_sport&cnn_section=golf&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","850","336");cnnad_registerSpace(608731,336,850);Part of complete coverage on Living Golf latestHaney: 'Tiger's very complex'updated 5:28 AM EDT, Thu March 29, 2012Tiger Woods' former coach Hank Haney speaks out in a primetime exclusive with Piers Morgan about the golfer. Can Woods claim Masters triumph?After his Bay Hill win Tiger Woods will be firing on all cylinders at the Masters says Living Golf presenter Shane O'Donoghue. Tiger a force in video-game worldupdated 2:55 PM EDT, Wed March 21, 2012He may no longer be world No. 1, but there's no question that golf still revolves around Tiger Woods -- who remains a key player in the video-game world. At home with Lee Westwoodupdated 11:10 AM EST, Thu March 8, 2012Living Golf special reporter Andrew Coltart interviews his brother-in-law Lee Westwood, formerly the world's No. 1 player.Early success for Lexi Thompsonupdated 11:11 AM EST, Thu March 8, 2012Living Golf's Shane O'Donoghue meets the youngest ever winner on the LPGA Tour, Lexi Thompson.The rise of the 'Belly Putter'updated 11:10 AM EST, Thu March 8, 2012Living Golf looks at the controversial "Belly Putter" and its future use within the sport.Why golf must get it right for OlympicsCNN's Colin Hancock says the choice of who designs the Rio course is only the first step in making sure golf keeps its Olympic status. Wind farm row threatens Trump resortupdated 6:38 AM EST, Thu March 1, 2012When the first sod was laid on Donald Trump's billion-dollar Scottish golf resort, few people could have predicted that less than a year later it would be under threat.Golf gadgets to improve your gameupdated 10:09 AM EST, Wed February 29, 2012Whether you're a weekend hacker or an accomplished scratch golfer, there are always new ways to improve your game.In the Navy? Tiger's 'secret dream'updated 10:48 AM EST, Wed February 29, 2012Tiger Woods has done it all in golf, but a new book claims that the world's top-earning sportsman once thought about giving up -- to join the Navy.Champ's spitting sparks Twitter rowupdated 9:42 AM EST, Tue February 21, 2012"It's a long-time habit I've got to try to conquer," admits rising star Keegan Bradley, as he confesses to breaking one of golf's biggest taboos.Morocco's trailblazing female golferupdated 7:43 AM EST, Tue February 7, 2012In many ways, Maha Haddioui is the archetypal young professional women's golfer, desperate to make a breakthrough on a major tour. Why golf and business still need TigerLiving Golf's Shane O'Donoghue discovers that Tiger Woods is still a major drawcard in Abu Dhabi.Discover golf's top luxury retreatsupdated 12:54 PM EST, Tue December 20, 2011With the holiday season upon us, what better time to take a luxury break and get away from it all -- and relax with a few rounds of golf.NewsPulseMost popular stories right nowU.S. economy to outpace EuropeBluegrass great Earl Scruggs dead at 88Video raises questions in Martin killingTSA: Man at airport had fireworks, powderZimmerman in handcuffs night of shootingExplore the news with NewsPulse ?cnnad_createAd("539313","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=mmst&cnn_position=300x150_rgt&cnn_rollup=world_sport&cnn_section=golf&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","150","300");cnnad_registerSpace(539313,300,150);

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