What is Offensive Pass Interference?

[Galeb]

OPI is simply a tool the NFL uses to sabotage the Patriots.

 

[alvinnf]

OPI is a point of emphasis for the league this year. Every week the commissar meets with the refs and goes through a power point featuring every catch by Rob Gronkoski. It is also known in league offices as the 345 park av court of appeals.....

 

[TomPatriot]

I think Corrente and his crew were looking to make calls against the Pats late in the game

A little CB can tie him up anywhere within 5 yards and Gronk has to evade him? Really? That's the rule for every receiver?

The defensive player can bump him within five yards of the LOS. Here's a link to the NFL Rule book.

2015 NFL Rulebook | NFL Football Operations

 

[venecol]

When I hear the rhetoric from Collinsworth " oh lookee Al he dipped his shoulder", have to realize that all of this is pure unmitigated bullshyt.. of course he dipped his shoulder he is a tall man, is he supposed to take a hit in the gut??

These are bullshyt calls by bullshyt referees.. just like the PI on Patrick Chung that negated the Branch sack.. a complete non call 99% of the time..

I believe Chung got called for holding, when it looked more like an OPI if you were to follow what they called on Gronk.

 

[aluminum seats]

Here's my guess on what the hell they're calling. Link to the relevant part of the rulebook:

2015 NFL Rulebook | NFL Football Operations

Under Article 4, which is "other prohibited acts by the offense:"

"Blocking more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage by an offensive player prior to a pass being thrown is offensive pass interference."

Again, I think this is analogous to basketball, calling a charge as opposed to a block. So I think if the defender moves to the side, it's not offensive pass interference. Gronk will have to take a step to either side in order to not get penalized.

(Note: my interpretation might be completely wrong.)

 

[The Brandon Five]

I agree, but for the sake of argument, we need to correct whatever it is they are calling because I don't believe the league will just call a penalty on us every play for the rest of the season.

Under the strictest interpretation of whatever the rule is, what is
Gronk allowed to do when some little CB tries to tie him up at the line?

Not catch the ball.

 

[The Brandon Five]

A little CB can tie him up anywhere within 5 yards and Gronk has to evade him? Really? That's the rule for every receiver?

Every Patriots receiver, sure.

 

[Tunescribe]

They're ALLEGING that Gronk is using his size/strength/leverage and pushing off in the process of extending an arm to gain separation usually during a change of direction, hence OPI. I don't see it. The man must be allowed to make cuts while running his routes and he's so big defenders bang into him all the time, it's not his fault. But the league sees this as an opportunity to slow down the Patriots because Framegate didn't work out for them.

 

[PatsBoy12]

The simple answer would be anytime Gronk goes out on a route nowadays.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

What you see Gronk doing is done by TEs (and other receivers) all over the league. It either isn't OPI or the refs are missing other OPIs on a massive scale.

So either Gronk is suffering from one of the worst runs of refereeing luck I might have ever seen or the refs have targeted Gronk for an emphasis of OPI. Since I doubt refs get together as a huge group to talk about Gronk, the league has specifically noted him for this point of emphasis on OPI. Otherwise statistically this is extreme if it is due to simple happenstance. Consider:
- 11 NFL teams have 1 or less OPI.
- Another 9 teams have 2.
- If you put Gronk's 5 OPIs as a standalone, Gronk the person is tied with Washington for the lead league in OPI.

People can choose to believe the league would never risk X or stoop to Y, and Gronk's calls are just a freak statistical occurrence. I am not one of those people. I absolutely believe the league (this specific regime) is not upstanding and they will kneed the outcomes they want in subtle and a bit not so subtle ways.

You know, I love Joker on this forum but before frame gate I always thought he was off with his conspiracy theory.
No more.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

When I hear the rhetoric from Collinsworth " oh lookee Al he dipped his shoulder", have to realize that all of this is pure unmitigated bullshyt.. of course he dipped his shoulder he is a tall man, is he supposed to take a hit in the gut??

These are bullshyt calls by bullshyt referees.. just like the PI on Patrick Chung that negated the Branch sack.. a complete non call 99% of the time..

Wrong.....that is a complete non call 100% of the time....for other teams.

 

[JMC00]

I believe Chung got called for holding, when it looked more like an OPI if you were to follow what they called on Gronk.

The Gronk OPI and the Chung call is why people have every right to complain about the refs. If they were calling it both ways or even 60/40 there isn't any complaining. Instead it was one sided.

 

[Galeb]

The Gronk OPI and the Chung call is why people have every right to complain about the refs. If they were calling it both ways or even 60/40 there isn't any complaining because the Pats win. Instead it was one sided.

Those were both bad calls, but non-call on running into the punter was over-the-top.

 

[Nunchucks]

Let's assume that Gronkowski is doing something that's worth a penalty. What exactly is the rule? Can a 180 lb DB line up across from him and put his hands on him and the play is over?

What exactly is the offensive player allowed to do in that situation?

You cannot extend your arms and push a defender 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

 

[JMC00]

Those were both bad calls, but non-call on running into the punter was over-the-top.

Oh I fully agree. I rewatched it 3 times and the broncos player just ran into him unblocked. But the OPI/Chung call just illustrates how up against it the Pats were. If that's OPI on Gronk, then it was OPI on Thomas which means since he didn't get the ball it should have been a no call.

 

[JMC00]

You cannot extend your arms and push a defender 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Apparently you can if you are Demaryius Thomas and not only will they not call it, they'll call holding agains the defense.

 

[primetime]

When I hear the rhetoric from Collinsworth " oh lookee Al he dipped his shoulder", have to realize that all of this is pure unmitigated bullshyt.. of course he dipped his shoulder he is a tall man, is he supposed to take a hit in the gut??

These are bullshyt calls by bullshyt referees.. just like the PI on Patrick Chung that negated the Branch sack.. a complete non call 99% of the time..

To Collinsworth's credit, he more or less said it was a terrible call (he outright said the Chung hold was a terrible call). He was just trying to explain why it was called in the first place.

 

[PatsFan2]

And Last night show how IMPORTANT HFA is there is now waaay they make calls like night against the Patriots at Gillette!

 

[The Brandon Five]

You cannot extend your arms and push a defender 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

He didn't extend his arms.

 

[aluminum seats]

You cannot extend your arms and push a defender 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Is that in the rule book?

Not for nothing, but the posts in this thread are all over the damn place. @RayClay asked directly what constitutes offensive interference, and apart from my posting what appears to be the relevant part of the rule book, it just seems like a lot of speculation.