Improving the pass interference rule in the NFL

[MikeyPatriot]

There's been some discussion in various threads about pass interference and reforming the rule. I don't think you can completely get rid of the "spot of the foul and auto first down," but I think it can be changed a bit. What do you all think of this:

- Change both off. pass interference and def. pass interference into major and minor fouls (like a personal foul for grabbing the face mask)

- For def. pass interference, major PI continues to be spot of foul and auto first down. Minor PI is fifteen yards (or spot of foul if shorter) and auto first down.

- For off. pass interference, major PI (tackling a defender who has a sure shot at an interception, for example) is 10 yards and a loss of down. Minor pass interference continues to be a standard 10 yard penalty.

[PITTM]

I think the most important thing is that all crews of officials call it the same.

[RedBean]

I don't know how many of you guys are that "old", since the group here tends to skew younger than normal....but if you remember the late '80s and early '90s when PI was all the rage, it certainly seems to be LEAPS and BOUNDS better nowadays how the refs call the games in regards to PI, rather than tossing a hanky on even the slightest contact.

Christ, once upon a time if you so much as breathed on guys like Mark Duper or Ernest Givens, it was a guarenteed flag.

[Toro]

[ QUOTE ]
There's been some discussion in various threads about pass interference and reforming the rule. I don't think you can completely get rid of the "spot of the foul and auto first down," but I think it can be changed a bit. What do you all think of this:

- Change both off. pass interference and def. pass interference into major and minor fouls (like a personal foul for grabbing the face mask)

- For def. pass interference, major PI continues to be spot of foul and auto first down. Minor PI is fifteen yards (or spot of foul if shorter) and auto first down.

- For off. pass interference, major PI (tackling a defender who has a sure shot at an interception, for example) is 10 yards and a loss of down. Minor pass interference continues to be a standard 10 yard penalty.

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Sounds good but I have no faith in the current crop of officials to distinguish between major and minor.

[MikeyPatriot]

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Sounds good but I have no faith in the current crop of officials to distinguish between major and minor.

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They seem to do well with incidental and major face masks, no?

[Toro]

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Sounds good but I have no faith in the current crop of officials to distinguish between major and minor.

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They seem to do well with incidental and major face masks, no?

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That's a lot easier to discern.

[MikeyPatriot]

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Sounds good but I have no faith in the current crop of officials to distinguish between major and minor.

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They seem to do well with incidental and major face masks, no?

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That's a lot easier to discern.

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Meh. I don't necessarily agree. A lot of facemaks take place in scrums or in situations of high action, while most PI takes in a one-on-one situation and at least one official has a good vantage point. I don't think the refs would have ruled either PI on NE as a major foul.

[NT!]

mikey,

as i said to triumph in the other thread, i like it.

[MikeyPatriot]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know how many of you guys are that "old", since the group here tends to skew younger than normal....but if you remember the late '80s and early '90s when PI was all the rage, it certainly seems to be LEAPS and BOUNDS better nowadays how the refs call the games in regards to PI, rather than tossing a hanky on even the slightest contact.

Christ, once upon a time if you so much as breathed on guys like Mark Duper or Ernest Givens, it was a guarenteed flag.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just because a rule is leaps and bounds better than it used to be, doesn't mean it's perfect.

[Triumph36]

[ QUOTE ]
There's been some discussion in various threads about pass interference and reforming the rule. I don't think you can completely get rid of the "spot of the foul and auto first down," but I think it can be changed a bit. What do you all think of this:

- Change both off. pass interference and def. pass interference into major and minor fouls (like a personal foul for grabbing the face mask)

- For def. pass interference, major PI continues to be spot of foul and auto first down. Minor PI is fifteen yards (or spot of foul if shorter) and auto first down.

- For off. pass interference, major PI (tackling a defender who has a sure shot at an interception, for example) is 10 yards and a loss of down. Minor pass interference continues to be a standard 10 yard penalty.

[/ QUOTE ]

i like it a lot. while the officials will get these wrong from time to time, as they do with facemask (i see way more 15 yard facemask penalties than i did 10 years ago), it will be far better than the current system.

the current way of calling things isn't going anywhere - the NFL loves offense. breathing on offensive players will continue to be a penalty, whereas obvious pushoffs by offensive players will continue to go uncalled. so this would be an excellent alternative.

naturally it will take a game-altering PI call in a playoff game to change this