Interesting Thought on Changing PI Rule

[manchambo]

So Nolan proposes giving refs discretion to make pass interference either a 15 yeard penalty or a spot foul. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2804157

Makes a little sense to me, but I think giving them discretion could intensify the effects of bad officiating (imagine if one game you had a terrible pi call in the endzone against you spotted on the one, and the next game a pi call in the endzone in your favor was made only a 15 yeard penalty). Seems to me it would probably be better to just adopt the college rule (spot foul within 15 yeards of los, or 15 yards), if you were strongly inclined to change the rule.

This got me thinking about a rule change I often think about: making holding a discretionary 5 or 10 yard penalty, depending on how flagrant the holding was, and whether it affected the play. Alternatively, you could just make all holding 5 yards. I think this change would greatly advance the league's goal of promoting offense.

Thoughts? Other rule changes you would like to see?

[ScottXray]

You could make PI a 15yd or spot foul if within 15yds, auto 1st. Revert back to todays rules (spot foul anywhere, auto 1st at the spot) inside two minutes in either half, so your receivers don't get mugged by the other team when you are down and have a LONG field.

Too many defensive penalties result in auto 1st downs that shouldn't, though. Holding (both Offensive and defensive ) should be either 5 or 10yards...but no automatic 1st. If the penalty doesn't get the first with the 5 yards, then 0 yds and down over could be chosen by the offense.

If Defensive holding is on a run and away from the play....no harm, no foul. Any discretion by the refs should have that as the basis of any decision....did it affect the play? Too many times the refs have too much impact on the end of a game. (for instance the Giants game season before last...they GAVE the game to NY with lousy calls)

There are alot of ways the game could be improved....!Booya!

[Garcia Bronco]

There are already to many judgement calls in the refs hands anyway. We don't want this to become a miserable sport like basketball where the refs decide every close game.

[FantomForce]

man I wish they would quit b@#$hing and just play the game

[TexanBob]

They already have a way to decriminalize pass interference with "defensive holding" (5 yds from LOS and automatic first down). I see this used all the time.

As to whether the call had an effect on the play, the official needs to call what he sees as he sees it. If the official saw a hold but then waited until after the play ended to determine if the hold affected the result of the play and threw the flag after the fact, you can imagine the complaints they would hear. Nice theory but, in reality, the crowd would lynch the ref who called a critical penalty against the home team only after the play was over and he'd had time to think about it.

[DomCasual]

I like the idea, in theory. I think some PI calls are punished WAY more than they deserve. But I am against putting any more judgment calls in the hands of the officials. These guys aren't even full-time employees - they're basically guys with weekend hobbies. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. I don't think hobbyists need to be making significant judgment calls for a multi-billion dollar industry.

[DomCasual]

Along the lines of rules changes, I read this little blurb in Peter King's column (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/18/overtime/index.html) today (and for those of you keeping score at home, if this isn't the dumbest damn thing I've heard recently, it's close to it):

Now the NFL might be preparing to do something -- not enough, but something -- to improve the odds of both teams getting a possession in overtime. The league's annual meetings convene next weekend in Phoenix, and the rules-making Competition Committee spent time last week discussing a tweak for overtime. The change: pushing the kickoff from the 30- to the 35-yard line.

Exactly half of the NFL's 32 teams averaged kickoffs of at least 65 yards last year. Only one team, Minnesota, averaged fewer than 60 yards per kickoff. So assuming the kicking team in overtime has a guy who booted the ball to the 5-yard line under normal circumstances, there's a good chance the receiving team will start within its 25-yard line in this new system. And maybe that's just enough of a difference to keep more games from being decided on the first possession.

[bamanjam]

I just wish they would consitently call Offensive Interference. I don't know how many times I saw the offensive player fully extend their arms to create space against a defender and the PI wasn't called. Or when it was worse and they called Defensive P.I.

[BroncoInferno]

Along the lines of rules changes, I read this little blurb in Peter King's column (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/18/overtime/index.html) today (and for those of you keeping score at home, if this isn't the dumbest damn thing I've heard recently, it's close to it):

The argument that it isn't fair that both teams aren't guarenteed a possession in OT is such a joke. It essentially says that offense is more important than defense and special teams. Defense/special teams are just as much a part of the team as offense. If they can't colectively keep the other team out of the endzone, then there is no inequity there. They are all equal parts of the team and have to do their job. You aren't guarenteed equal offensive possessions in regulation, why should that be the case in OT? The college OT is a total joke, forcing defenses to defend 25 freaking yards and totally eliminating special teams from the winning formula.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

I strongly believe that the biggest crime, at the moment, is the roughing the QB penalty. It is often called when the QB doesn't even hit the ground. There should be a 5 yard variety and a 15 yard variety, much like running/roughing the kicker. This makes too much sense.

[TexanBob]

I strongly believe that the biggest crime, at the moment, is the roughing the QB penalty. It is often called when the QB doesn't even hit the ground. There should be a 5 yard variety and a 15 yard variety, much like running/roughing the kicker. This makes too much sense.

Good idea but the "QB must be protected at all costs" crowd will never go for it.

As to giving everyone a fair shot in overtime, one of two changes work for me.

Either: Game ends when one team leads the other after an even number of possessions or Field Goals are not allowed in OT - must score by TD or safety.