The goal of the New England Patriots last season was to accomplish something so spectacular it would have an enduring, historic effect on the National Football League.

They might have succeeded in ways they never dreamed.

The Patriots fell short of 19-0 perfection and a dynasty-like fourth Super Bowl victory in seven seasons when the New York Giants upset them in the NFL championship game. But illegal acts by New England and its head coach over the years might produce stricter rules of conduct in the NFL and add another layer of technology to the game.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has proposed widespread rules governing the integrity of the game that owners will consider at their annual meeting beginning Sunday in Palm Beach, Fla. The new rules will be self-policing, much like the service academies, in that owners, general mangers, coaches and others must blow the whistle on each other if they know of violations.

In addition, members of the league's competition committee believe the owners will pass a rule allowing one defensive player to wear a radio receiver in his helmet to hear signals from the sideline the way a quarterback has been able to do on offense. It is an obvious attempt to end the illegal video taping of defensive coaches' signals that cost the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick heavy fines last fall and a first-round draft choice.

There is no doubt the proposals were inspired by Spygate.

"I think the question has been raised because of all the focus that went on with that incident," said Rich McKay, co-chairman of the NFL competition committee. "You have to make fans assured you are paying attention to the issues and are directing as much energy as you can to the issue."

"We are determined to make sure our game is clean and competitively fair," said Ray Anderson, the NFL's vice president of football operations. "The main thing is accountability from top to bottom in protecting the integrity and maintaining accountability with our fans."

"I certainly agree that it's an issue that needs to be addressed," Steelers president Art Rooney II said of Goodell's proposals, "and I think what we've heard from the commissioner so far makes sense. Obviously we have to hear more of the details, but he's going to put some measures in place that will make a difference and certainly make people think twice if they have any thoughts about skirting the rules."

Belichick and the Patriots admitted to Goodell that part of their illegal taping of coaches involved the Steelers before or during two AFC championship games in Heinz Field, both won by New England after the 2002 and '04 seasons.

It's not just stealing signals by video tape either. There have been complaints from visiting teams when their coaches' suddenly lose communication through their sideline headphones. Or, as happened publicly during the 2005 season, complaints that Indianapolis illegally used its indoor sound system to jack up the crowd noise.

Such violations will be policed more closely and dealt with more severely under Goodell's proposals.

"You have to say there's an opportunity to exploit technology to gain an advantage that is not part of the rules," Rooney said. "I think that is something that probably will be an oncoming challenge as technology continues to improve."

Other issues and proposals on the docket for the NFL meetings:

• Change the seeding for playoffs so if a wild-card team has a better record than a division winner, it receives a higher seed. In that case, Jacksonville (11-5) would not have played at the Steelers (AFC North champions at 10-6). "We don't see any reason to fool with that," said Rooney, who believes division champs deserve the reward of a higher seed.

• A 5- to 7-day moratorium before free agency begins to allow team officials to talk to the agents for potential free agents without signing them. It's a process that goes on now anyway, illegally, and the NFL hopes to make it equal for everyone who now follows the rules. "No question there's an issue with people jumping the gun now," Rooney said.

• Eliminate the 5-yard penalty for minor facemask violations with only those involving serious infractions drawing a 15-yard penalty.

• Eliminate the rule that allows the receiver to have a catch if, in the judgment of the official, he was forced out of bounds by a defender to prevent him from getting both feet in bounds. That play now would be ruled an incompletion unless the receiver was carried out of bounds.

• Prohibit long hair from obscuring a player's name on the back of his jersey, ala Troy Polamalu. The player would not be required to cut his hair, but wear it under his helmet. "I think we probably are inclined to not be for the change," Rooney said. "I would say there probably needs to be some consideration of what's too much. Hair out of the helmet is one thing, hair halfway down your back, I don't know."

• Expand instant replay for reviews on field goals, except on those where the ball rises above the uprights because of camera angles.

• Allow the winner of the opening coin flip to defer its choice to the second half, mimicking the college rule.