Major Rule Change

[PatsWSB47]

This new rule makes it entirely possible to use modern means, like they do in tennis, to determine if the ball pierces the "plane" of the goal.

All it would require is to chip the ball between two receivers placed in or about the pylons. Piercing the plane would be confirmed by the sensors.

The same technology could be used to determine First Downs with sensors placed in the forward yardsticks.

It would help possibly but then again was the knee down first?

 

[captain stone]

They covered this on the NFLN the other night and showed some examples. I like the change. I also like the new rule change if you spike the ball in the field of play it is a 5 yard delay of game spot foul. I was getting tired of guys celebrating after the most common of plays.

I like both changes, also. About dam time.

If it were up to me, I would make the ball-holder be in the endzone, with possession. No more "breaking the plane" bullpoop. That Stephen Davis "TD" in Charlotte in '05 still pisses me off.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Interesting and informative thread. Thanks.

One observation: the new rule appears to make sense since, if the game is played on a field 360 feet long and 160 feet wide, then it seems logical that a TD (defined as the ball breaking the plane of the goal line) would have to occur within that space.

One question: The pylon is an official part of the field. But, is there a minimum for the height of the pylon (18"?)? Since the pylon is flexible and cannot injure any one, perhaps it should be a bit higher now to make it easier to determine where the ball is in relation to the pylon?

 

[Kevin The Pat]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/08/05/career_has_run_its_course/?page=3

I hadn't heard about this, but the goal line is no longer extended to infinity outside the goal posts as it has been in the past. It seem that the ball must now pass over the goal line between the pylons, with the outer most edge of the pylons being the boundry.

It's a good but kind of confussing rule. Well better than what I expected in that Peyton Manning would no longer be allowed to be touched and you must pull the flags he will be wearing.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I've made just such RF chip & multiple camera proposals here in this forum several times. The technology is cheap. In the Globe Dillon article BB supports more cameras so that goal line challenges of calls can be more rationally decided. We have the technology to take some of the really simple bad calls out of the game while still leaving it in control of the humans.

More importantly, the more you can remove the judgment calls, or at least assist in them, the tougher it would be for a corrupt official, like in the NBA, to change a game.

I still think they need to do something to distinguish between casual and purposeful Pass Interference. That is definitely a case where a ref can swing a game, and nothing can be done about it, as a replay and review is NOT allowed.

 

[captain stone]

More importantly, the more you can remove the judgment calls, or at least assist in them, the tougher it would be for a corrupt official, like in the NBA, to change a game.

I still think they need to do something to distinguish between casual and purposeful Pass Interference. That is definitely a case where a ref can swing a game, and nothing can be done about it, as a replay and review is NOT allowed.

I agree wholeheartedly on the need to make distinctions for PI. This is an idea whose time has come, like, a year and a half ago.