Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
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Jay Z wrote:The receiver has two steps on me, I'll just tackle him and it's only 15 yards instead of a TD.
How is that possible unless a) the WR stops or b) the DB's arms are eight feet long?
And anyway, if a DB is close enough to tackle the WR, that means he's also close enough to make a play on the ball.
The DB can run faster than the WR because the WR is focusing on catching the ball. A DB actually playing defense has to locate the ball and not interfere. A DB who doesn't care about PI can simply run right through the receiver. That takes less time.
If the defender is trying to defend the pass and interferes, then make it a 15-yard penalty. If he was not trying to make a play on the ball, then make it a spot foul. I don't see a problem here except for maybe some judgment calls needing to be made. In other words, we are talking about a penalty vs an intentional penalty.
JWL wrote:If the defender is trying to defend the pass and interferes, then make it a 15-yard penalty. If he was not trying to make a play on the ball, then make it a spot foul. I don't see a problem here except for maybe some judgment calls needing to be made. In other words, we are talking about a penalty vs an intentional penalty.
What if the interference occurs 5 yards down the field? Should the offense still get 15 yards?
JWL wrote:If the defender is trying to defend the pass and interferes, then make it a 15-yard penalty. If he was not trying to make a play on the ball, then make it a spot foul. I don't see a problem here except for maybe some judgment calls needing to be made. In other words, we are talking about a penalty vs an intentional penalty.
What if the interference occurs 5 yards down the field? Should the offense still get 15 yards?
Spot foul if fewer than 15 yards
I considered noting that last night but then I thought How often do we even see pass interference penalties of less than 15 yards?
JWL wrote:If the defender is trying to defend the pass and interferes, then make it a 15-yard penalty. If he was not trying to make a play on the ball, then make it a spot foul. I don't see a problem here except for maybe some judgment calls needing to be made. In other words, we are talking about a penalty vs an intentional penalty.
The person complaining about PI had a problem with the judgment call. Your way would add another judgment on top of the original judgment.
I took above commenters' remarks to be referring to a DB tackling a receiver or pushing him out of bounds or doing something else ridiculous just to make sure there was a 15-yard penalty instead of a catch or a spot foul.
It really would not be that difficult to discern if the act was over the top.
ChrisBabcock wrote:One silly rule that I'm glad they got rid of is the case of a receiver catching the ball in the air close to being out of bounds and his defender pushing him so that he lands out of bounds.... If the official determined that he WOULD HAVE landed in bounds without the push, it was ruled a catch. That was way too much of a judgement call for the officials. The defender should be rewarded for making a good play and getting the receiver to land out of bounds.
I recognize that the defender has to execute precise timing in order to make contact no sooner than the moment that the receiver touches the ball. But I disagree that pushing someone out of bounds is a play that should be rewarded, in that pushing someone out is a lot easier than trying to avoid being pushed out.
