Florio bent out of shape for fumble/TB rule but silent on Tush Push

[JohnTurney]

to be fair, that is the take of a lot of major media.

I am the exact opposite. The pushing used to be illegal, unless I am having a Mandella moment
I recall not being able to assist a player get a TD or first down or any yards...

And the fumble into end zone is fine. If you risk getting the TD by going over
the infinite plane and get it there is big reward. If you fail because
it is impossible be secure that ball with it extended there is a possible negative
outcome.

I am sure the founding fathers of football did not have the rule for that reason
but that is the current dynamic.

But being the opposite of Florio could be a good thing.

[sheajets]

The pushing indeed used to be illegal. On the famous Ice Bowl Bart Starr QB sneak, Mercein stated that he wasn't putting his arms up celebrating touchdown but rather trying to show the official he was not pushing Starr into the endzone

I have no idea why they changed it. You should have to make the yardage on your own or your progress is stopped and the play is over. None of this having other guys barrel into you to get you forward

[JohnTurney]

The pushing indeed used to be illegal.

I have no idea why they changed it.

From someone who knows the rules pretty well

Even though the rules said you couldn't pull or push the runner, it essentially was said that they were looking for something isolated. In other words, in a goal line stand, there is conventional blocking, and when the runner gets in the mix of it, it doesn't suddenly become pushing the runner.

So even though an OL gets his hands on the RB in that process, it was standard play that was never intended to be flagged. The rule was mostly for a OL to pick up his RB and go forward. Eventually they took it off the books because of the way it was officiated all those years, in that nearly every "push" was not a "push" in the eyes of the enforcement

[JameisBrownston]

Ah, Mike "here's how Tom Brady can still end up on the 49ers!" Florio...

I've seemingly noticed more plays as the years go on involving a whole scrum of guys on both teams with a ball carrier in the middle getting pushed forward. Not sure when it started but it seems to he increasing. Not only sneaks either, often a guy gets stood up after a run/catch in a short-yardage situation and his whole team comes in for backup to keep him upright. I recall seeing at least one TD scored this way in the last few years.

As for the fumble into the endzone = touchback, it's absolutely brutal but them's the breaks. Be glad an incomplete pass into the endzone isn't a touchback anymore. If anything, one might ask for some change to the fumble out of bounds = retain possession rule... maybe penalize it like a kickoff out of bounds? It shouldn't be a turnover, but shouldn't negate the fumble either.

[Bryan]

Not sure when it started but it seems to he increasing.

I think it started with the USC-ND game and the Bush Push. Leave it to the NCAA to have a blatant rules violation committed in plain sight, on a play that determines the outcome of the game and eventually the national championship....and nothing happens. Even now, that play is remembered more as a "top moment in college football" instead of an egregious officiating error that determined a national title.

[Reaser]

I think it started with the USC-ND game and the Bush Push. Leave it to the NCAA to have a blatant rules violation committed in plain sight, on a play that determines the outcome of the game and eventually the national championship....and nothing happens. Even now, that play is remembered more as a "top moment in college football" instead of an egregious officiating error that determined a national title.

Like the 5th down game in that respect.

[rhickok1109]

I think the Tush Push will be legal until a starting QB gets hurt by it. Then there will be a big outcry and pushing the runner will be against the rules again.

[JeffreyMiller]

I think the Tush Push will be legal until a starting QB gets hurt by it. Then there will be a big outcry and pushing the runner will be against the rules again.

Reminiscent of the mass momentum plays of the game's early days ...

[Brian wolf]

Florio keeps gushing about Deion Sanders being a pro head coach as well ... too bad people cant comment on that site anymore, takes the fun out of it.

[rhickok1109]

I think the Tush Push will be legal until a starting QB gets hurt by it. Then there will be a big outcry and pushing the runner will be against the rules again.

Reminiscent of the mass momentum plays of the game's early days ...

Exactly. The rule against pushing or pulling the runner was one of several rules enacted to get rid of those mass momentum plays and I have no idea why they suddenly decided that pushing was okay but pulling should still be forbidden.