Comments on: News: NFL Owners Repeal Pushout Rule

By: dave

dave — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:54:29 +0000

Bent, interesting point. I figure that they just think the chances of anyone being caught-n-tossed is so minimal that it isn’t worth drafting/possibly conflicting with some other rule. Thanks

By: Bent

Bent — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:46:22 +0000

Forward progress can’t be stopped until there’s a completed pass…and there can’t be a completed pass until the receivers feet have landed inbounds.

They have to sort that out. Just specifically have a penalty for carrying a receiver out of bounds or something.

Otherwise you could just sign 4 male cheerleaders to play in the defensive secondary and do a human pyramid over to the sideline every time a receiver leaves his feet to catch a pass.

By: dave

dave — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:32:33 +0000

Nikolas, i thought the same thing at first! but then i think there would be some bar as to the ball progress being stopped, etc

harlan, yes I should have been more specifc, its hard not to agree with what youre saying, but what I’m saying is that i tink the rule uneccesarily will not count some great athletic catches that would normally land in bounds, for reasons i can’t really find too compelling. We’ll have to wait and see i guess if this really has any material effect

By: Doctor K

Doctor K — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:26:04 +0000

I agree with Harlan. This doesn’t remove the athleticism of a WR, it just removes the tendency of QB’s to throw a “jump ball” to the sideline. The QB can still throw the out pass, as long as the defender is to the WR’s inside shoulder. THe WR still has to tip toe his feet inbounds and if the defeder hits him before the ball gets there it will be pass interference. If the QB is smart he won’t throw the jump ball to the side line thereby making his WR a sitting duck and risk injury, i.e. Chad to Coles. It really requires a fast, crisp and accurate pass. The rule change also takes the judgement call away from the refs, making their lives easier.

By: Nikolas

Nikolas — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:13:04 +0000

Now sideline routes will be a no-no.
This is a joke; these guys do not seem to be very bright.
Theoretically you can pick a receiver up in your arms from the middle of the field and carry him out of bounds. Oh?

By: subwayfare

subwayfare — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:06:10 +0000

Which is why I believe interference calls during two-minute drills will spike. DB’s will be trying to time hits on sideline passes and there will be many close calls. I liked the rule. I just think enforcement of it could have been tweaked. If a ref is trying to focus on the precise moment possession is established, it’s impossible to also take in the receiver’s momentum, trajectory, etc. I don’t see why it couldn’t be a booth review. True, it’s not a clear, black and white certainty, like seeing whether a player’s foot touched the sideline, but pass interference has some judgment involved also. Mostly, I think there will be more injuries because hitting guys up in the air, off balance is being rewarded.

By: Bent

Bent — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:44:59 +0000

It wouldn’t be interference as long as you hit the guy after the catch but before he landed.

By: SackDance99

SackDance99 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:12:03 +0000

The rule will obviously affect outs and all sideline patterns, but the fade is supposed to be thrown to the far corner pylon. If executed properly, it’s over the DB’s or LB’s head and, human nature being what it is, the DB will likely try to bat down or swat away the ball, rather than deliver a hit on the WR. IMO, it will have some effect on how a DB plays defense in the last 2 minutes, but a DB will still have to fight the natural tendency to play the ball, not the man (of course, a DB should always play the man, but INTs get you the big money).

By: joe

joe — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:51:15 +0000

This will have a pretty big effect on the game. But, won’t the intentional push-out be pass interference? Surely, only “incidental”contact that forces a receiver out of bounds will be allowed..

By: dakar

dakar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:27:04 +0000

i agree with bass…the pushout should have been reviewable by the booth…i think the way they have it setup now will increase penalties on both sides of the ball…just my thoughts…