Interference Moratorium

[patrioteq]

Anybody else out there sick of interference penalties effecting the outcomes of games? It has gotten way too subjective and takes alot of fun out of the game for me. We saw it in the Pats/Colts game but it is in no way limited to one team or one ref.

I propose the NFL impose a moratorium on all pass interference calls for one week. Make it a non-bye week so all are evenly effected. For one game, let them go out there and maul each other (personal fouls will still apply). You can give him an elbow or a well timed shove; offense or defense. Or maybe reverse the 5 yd chuck rule. Can't touch him within 5 yds. After that, he's fair game. I just want to see the result. (I suppose a hockey game might break out).

OK I'm frustrated and maybe it's a bit over the top, but I want to watch the players makes the plays and not refs "awarding" long gains on something he thought he saw. This is why I gave up on watching judged sports like Boxing and Ice Skating.

 

[BradyManny]

Those PI calls were straight up bogus. So yes, I guess I am sick of them. But if they actually called the penalty correctly, it wouldn't be a big deal. But refs are a cowardly species and a) succumb to crowd pressure b) succumb to big bad wide receivers looking at them longing to see a flag.

Thank god our receivers don't do that. You so rarely see Moss turn and bytch out a ref, I don't think I've seen him do it once this year, even on plays he got jobbed.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

The problem is the "spot of the foul" ruling combined with deep throws.

My wife (a great neutral observer because she knows just enough to follow football) was watching with me when Hobbs was flagged and thought I was thoroughly overreacting. She said that the Pats should just suck up the penalty and stop them anyway. When I told her about the "spot of the foul" ruling, and that it was a 40+ yard penalty she flipped. "That's ridiculous? Why the hell would they do that? That's bull(poo)!"

All they have to do is make PI max at 15 yards and the problem is mostly solved.

I hate the argument that it would just encourage defenders to maul guys deep. The current system encourages offenses to throw it deep and hope. It might not be perfect, but it'd be better than the current broken rule.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I hate the argument that it would just encourage defenders to maul guys deep. The current system encourages offenses to throw it deep and hope. It might not be perfect, but it'd be better than the current broken rule.

There was a good thread last year about whether you could come up with a workable two tiered system -- making most PI spot of the foul but making clearly intentional PI a spot foul. The argument against is giving the refs even more discretion, but we do it with facemask penalties.

There are definitely plays in college football where 15 yards doesn't seem appropriate.

NFL players also are much better. I think often PI bails out the receiver who would never make the catch anyway. But the NFL rule recognizes that the best players in the world often make the difficult look routine.

 

[stinkypete]

I say allow teams to challenge a penalty. There is no reason a team should not have the right to challenge a 40 yard penalty.

 

[bclaff]

The problem is the "spot of the foul" ruling combined with deep throws.

My wife (a great neutral observer because she knows just enough to follow football) was watching with me when Hobbs was flagged and thought I was thoroughly overreacting. She said that the Pats should just suck up the penalty and stop them anyway. When I told her about the "spot of the foul" ruling, and that it was a 40+ yard penalty she flipped. "That's ridiculous? Why the hell would they do that? That's bull(poo)!"

All they have to do is make PI max at 15 yards and the problem is mostly solved.

I hate the argument that it would just encourage defenders to maul guys deep. The current system encourages offenses to throw it deep and hope. It might not be perfect, but it'd be better than the current broken rule.

All they have to do is be able to rule it "un-catchable". Can they still call that in college football? They used to. It was good when they could do that. Most of the time, the guy wasn't going to catch it anyway.

I just watched the call on Samuel in the first quarter. There was NO WAY AG was going to catch that ball anyway.

Take a look at the last video here:
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?season=2007&week=REG9&game_id=29321

 

[sdaniels7114]

The refs are supposed to not call PI if the ball is uncatchable according to the rule; but they're pretty strict about just what can't be caught.