The NFL's penalty structure for defensive holding and pass interference makes no sense at all.
If Assante Samuel had grabbed Lelie by the arm and thrown him out of bounds, taking him totally out of the play before Plummer through the ball, he would have got a defensive holding penalty for 15 yards. Instead he plays perfect coverage, looks back for the ball, established position, and is pushed by Lelie at least 3 times and gets an interference call and the ball is place at the one yard line. Normally interference is a spot foul but because the "penalty" occured in the end zone the ball was place at the 1. It is no worse to hold that it is to interfere. Does the fact that the ball is in the air make the outcome any different. In either case the play is a pass play and the intent is to pass the ball. Why should it matter if the defender impedes the progress of the reciever regardless if the ball has been thrown or not.
My point here is that I am suggesting the NFL institute an additional level of pass interfence call that awards the offense 15 yards and a first down instead of spot fouls when the interference is not "a blatant attempt to prevent the reciever from catching the ball". Pass interference at all other levels of football is 15 yards and a first down. There is no penalty in sports as severe as the pass interference penalty other than maybe a penalty kick in soccer.
I am not suggesting that the spot foul interference penalty be removed, but that it only be used in cases of blatant interference. I don't believe that Samuel commited any interference on the now infamous play, but the back judge (I think) thought he saw something. Rather than letting the opinion of one referee swing the entire momentum of the game, if he had the option of levying a lesser penalty maybe he would have taken that, therefore in his mind awarding Denver a first down and 15 yards and making the wrong a right, without completely upheaving the game by placing the ball at the one, effectively awarding the Broncos a TD. Video review could also be used in the case where one ref and another disagree as to an interference call. The ref closest to the play did not think Samuel commited a penalty, but the ref half a field away felt obligated to call something that wasn't there. The referee could then take a look at the play himself (if the coach asks for a replay) and make the final call.
The basis for my idea somewhat already exist in the NFL for the face mask penalty.
It is the descretion of the referee to objectively determine if a defenders hand was just on the face mask (5 yards and a first down) or if the defender was grabbing and pulling the face mask (15 yards and a first down). The referee can dish out the appropriate punishment for the appropriate level of infraction.
If Assante Samuel had grabbed Lelie by the arm and thrown him out of bounds, taking him totally out of the play before Plummer through the ball, he would have got a defensive holding penalty for 15 yards. Instead he plays perfect coverage, looks back for the ball, established position, and is pushed by Lelie at least 3 times and gets an interference call and the ball is place at the one yard line. Normally interference is a spot foul but because the "penalty" occured in the end zone the ball was place at the 1. It is no worse to hold that it is to interfere. Does the fact that the ball is in the air make the outcome any different. In either case the play is a pass play and the intent is to pass the ball. Why should it matter if the defender impedes the progress of the reciever regardless if the ball has been thrown or not.
My point here is that I am suggesting the NFL institute an additional level of pass interfence call that awards the offense 15 yards and a first down instead of spot fouls when the interference is not "a blatant attempt to prevent the reciever from catching the ball". Pass interference at all other levels of football is 15 yards and a first down. There is no penalty in sports as severe as the pass interference penalty other than maybe a penalty kick in soccer.
I am not suggesting that the spot foul interference penalty be removed, but that it only be used in cases of blatant interference. I don't believe that Samuel commited any interference on the now infamous play, but the back judge (I think) thought he saw something. Rather than letting the opinion of one referee swing the entire momentum of the game, if he had the option of levying a lesser penalty maybe he would have taken that, therefore in his mind awarding Denver a first down and 15 yards and making the wrong a right, without completely upheaving the game by placing the ball at the one, effectively awarding the Broncos a TD. Video review could also be used in the case where one ref and another disagree as to an interference call. The ref closest to the play did not think Samuel commited a penalty, but the ref half a field away felt obligated to call something that wasn't there. The referee could then take a look at the play himself (if the coach asks for a replay) and make the final call.
The basis for my idea somewhat already exist in the NFL for the face mask penalty.
It is the descretion of the referee to objectively determine if a defenders hand was just on the face mask (5 yards and a first down) or if the defender was grabbing and pulling the face mask (15 yards and a first down). The referee can dish out the appropriate punishment for the appropriate level of infraction.
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