preliminary verdict on PI challenges, through 49 preseason games

from Florio: 48 pass interference replays in 49 preseason games

lowdown:
48 challenges of PI calls or no-calls, 6 were reversed, all 6 had been non-calls on the field.
36 were related to DPI, 12 to OPI

DPI:
when a flag was thrown and challenged, 10 of 10 challenges were lost. Basically, they are taught to throw the flag only if they see contact, so unless the refs were totally awful and there was no contact at all, you are not winning the challenge. You are wasting a TO.

When no flag was thrown for DPI and it was challenged, 21 of 26 were upheld. 5 were reversed (19%). Considering there is often a big reward in yardage, it might be worth taking this 19% chance of an overturn of a DPI non-call

OPI:
11 of the 12 challenges were upheld. One instance was reversed (8%), when no flag was thrown, a coach challenged otherwise, contact was seen outside of the 1 yard area, and so it was reversed.

--
executive summary:
So far the data suggests a big reluctance to overturn PI calls and even PI non-calls, in other words, a high standard of proof. I think that's what we all wanted.

It would seem to be in general a waste of a TO to challenge PI calls. It may be worthwhile (though still long odds) to challenge a DPI non-call, where the gain on the penalty would be substantial.

Makes sense- it is easier to miss a little contact and hold your whistle thinking it wasn't significant than it is to think you saw contact that wasn't there.

It also seems pretty neatly tailored to the desire for stopping the awful non-call, in response to Saints-Rams big miss. So they responded to PR pressure and there doesn't seem to be a lot of unintended consequences or other impact. Caveat: small sample size, obviously.

Also 1 challenge per game, most often lost, most often initiated by the coach and not a booth challenge, and thus most often taking away a TO, suggests no-to-minimal effects on game length.

My only remaining reservation (the only one I had at all, actually) is what might happen inside 2 minutes during real games. When it counts, the booth might be more likely to review a call that could have been let go. That would be where the game slowdown happens, and we wouldn't necessarily have seen it by now.

Elijah said:

My only remaining reservation (the only one I had at all, actually) is what might happen inside 2 minutes during real games. When it counts, the booth might be more likely to review a call that could have been let go. That would be where the game slowdown happens, and we wouldn't necessarily have seen it by now.

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My hope is that the same emphasis is placed on the booth reviews (it has to be an egregious miss) as it is on the coaches challenges. I have to believe the booth guys have been given the same instructions, but like you said, remains to be seen.

Sicilian said:

My hope is that the same emphasis is placed on the booth reviews (it has to be an egregious miss) as it is on the coaches challenges. I have to believe the booth guys have been given the same instructions, but like you said, remains to be seen.

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I should add that I'm not super worried and glad to see the hysteria dying down about what was never going to be a big deal.

I'm not looking forward to Jim Nance and other broadcasters analyzing the slow motion replays creating all kinds of controversy. It could get bad now that gambling is a factor

My big takeaway, granted I haven't seen any data and my sampling wasn't exactly extensive, but I perceived what I thought was a marked increase in non-challengeable 'illegal contact / hands to the face' calls. Often in lieu of a PI call. Anyone else find that to be the case?

Haven't seen BB use a challenge yet. Either he doesn't care in preseason or he is gathering intel on what he will and wont challenge in the regular season.

So 48 challenges...say 5 minutes a challenge..that’s 4 hours of drudgery larded onto these games. Hate it.

And it will all change again...








...as soon as a PI call outcome in a big game goes the Patriots way....




https://imgflip.com/gif-maker

...preferably against Baltimore.

PatsWSB47 said:

I'm not looking forward to Jim Nance and other broadcasters analyzing the slow motion replays creating all kinds of controversy. It could get bad now that gambling is a factor

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It's Jim Nantz,bro. (bruh is for kids)
Please don't confuse that clown with the greatest Patriots rb.

jimnance said:

It's Jim Nantz,bro. (bruh is for kids)
Please don't confuse that clown with the greatest Patriots rb.

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https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

aluminum seats said:

So 48 challenges...say 5 minutes a challenge..that’s 4 hours of drudgery larded onto these games. Hate it.

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42 coach's challenges lost means 42 timeouts were given up, that's 3.5 hours saved.

In reality I wonder if the average challenge is as long as the average TO.

Palm Beach Pats Fan said:

42 coach's challenges lost means 42 timeouts were given up, that's 3.5 hours saved.

In reality I wonder if the average challenge is as long as the average TO.

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I don’t know, but they absolutely take the air out of the game.

Nice analysis. I think the DPI non calls are the ones people want to see fixed most so the data seems to show the rule changes are having the desired result.

oldrover said:

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It has been said that there is DPI on just about every pass play in some form or another, which will create a challenge for any D Back in the league as well as officials..

Have always thought it would be better to have another back judge on the field as opposed to continual reliance on technology, which many times does not get the right angle or the action is obscured.. to tie up the game more and more, will sooner or later turn the game into an MLB slowdown..

Some of this is driven by the egregiousness of the non-call and subsequent brouhaha in the Saints Rams playoff game last year.. Technology?? Or two more eyes??

aluminum seats said:

I don’t know, but they absolutely take the air out of the game.

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Sony Michel does that.

aluminum seats said:

So 48 challenges...say 5 minutes a challenge..that’s 4 hours of drudgery larded onto these games. Hate it.

Click to expand...

If they keep losing them at the rate they did in preseason, you're not going to see them as frequently. But it gives them an option for egregious cases, where before they just had to say, "Well, we got screwed and there's nothing we can do about it."

So long as they maintain the standard they've indicated so far, it's not going to be noticeable on the time of games at all.

The game has become brutally slow and painful to watch live.