ctpatsfan77

Obviously, you can't just turn PI into a 15-yard foul like a personal foul, because then it would give defenders an incentive to just mug receivers on every deep ball.

That said, something needs to be done. What I suggest is that this be the minimum change:

PI calls must add two things above and beyond what is currently announced: (1) the number of the referee who claims PI occurred, and (2) a clear description of the action taken by the penalized player who caused the foul. In other words, the referee must say "official number 110 states the defender tripped the receiver" or "official number 130 states the defender used an arm bar to impede the receiver's progress."

I'd really love to see Mike Pereira defend these howlingly bad calls if they had to be that specific.

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BelichickFan

Sure you can. It works in college and you can't just give up 15 yards on a whim. Not every deep ball is caught, in fact most aren't. 15 yards is a big penalty. Giving a spot foul on PI, therefore assuming the ball is caught, is the same as holding being 10 yards AND a loss of down on passing plays assuming the QB would be sacked if the OL had to hold.

ctpatsfan77

And so an arm bar on a 6-yard pass play should result in a 15-yard penalty, too?

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patchick

I think you can, as long as you add a more punitive "flagrant foul" to prevent flat-out tackles of the receiver.

Tunescribe

Try making that argument to the Detroit Lions after their game vs. Cleveland a week ago. I agree something needs to be done about all these phantom PI calls, but going to the college rule doesn't cut it for me. Because so much is at stake, I think pass interference should require automatic replay review by a pressbox official. It won't slow the game down that much. Either that, or allow coaches to challenge PI calls.

ausbacker

How about the officials stop paying PI calls that blatantly aren't and Magnum PI Mike is sacked from officiating duties.

ctpatsfan77

Do you think my suggestion would help in the interim (i.e., while people try and figure out what the penalty SHOULD be), in order to cut down on the cr*pPI calls?

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BelichickFan

It could be a spot foul for under 15 yarders.

15 yards would have given them a first down around the 20, not bad for a PI on a pass that almost certainly would have been incomplete.

PatsChamp88

I agree it should be like the college rule...

Rob0729

Of course you can turn PI into a 15 yard penalty. People said you couldn't take away the forceout rule because defenders would just forceout receivers going for the ball near the sidelines causing more injuries. And guess what? Nothing has changed.

Sorry, there are far too many game changing phantom and/or ticky tack pass interference calls going on in the league. I know of two that the Colts have benefitted from on TD drives in games where they won by 7 points or less this year alone. I would rather avoid such game changing bad calls than risk a few intentional offensive PI to avoid INTs (which happens now anyway).

The Pats lost the AFC championship game to the Colts by 4 points in part because Ellis Hobbs was called for PI in the end zone for a PI rule that no longer existed which turned what would have been a third and 7 on the Pats' 20 to a first and goal on the one. At least with a 15 yard rule, it would have been half the distance to the goal and at least given the Pats a fighting chance to hold the Colts to 3 points on a bogus call that the league admitted they were wrong. And the year before, the Pats

The college ranks have had the 15 yard penalty for ages and there isn't a problem. I would rather have a few more blatant PIs by the defenders than bogus PI that unfairly gives a team 40-50 yards on a penalty that doesn't occur. You'll have a hard time arguing to me that there will be a huge increase of blatant pass interference penalties when 15 yards is still a huge foul and defenders don't blatantly tackle receivers when they lose a step on them on what would be a sure TD if the QB connects with the receiver. I think it is a weak argument myself.