I’m thinking about things like offensive holding. You can’t watch an NFL game without at least one commentator saying “they could call holding on every play” or something similar. If they had enough officials, and they called holding every time it happened, how would that change things (eventually)?
I suspect that because the offensive linemen would have more trouble stopping the defense, the QB would have to either move out of the pocket more, or would have to release a lot faster. That would probably mean less scoring, so they’d have to adjust the rules to make it easier–somehow–to gain yards.
Things like holding are very subjective and open to interpretation by the refs. The best you can hope for is that during any one game their interpretation applies fairly to both teams for the entirety of that particular game.
It will be interesting in the Packer/Giants game how agressively they call offensive holding since the Woodson/Harris combo corners are known for their very agressive style of coverage.
“There’s holding on every play” is mostly a line of bullshit. “Holding” as defined by the rules isn’t the same as “holding” in common conversation. Just having your hands on a guy gripping him isn’t necesarily holding.
There is a lot of borderline holding that goes uncalled, and some blatant holding that goes uncalled, but it’s not nearly as common as that oft-heard quote implies.
If I could change one thing, it would be the overzealous enforcement of running into/roughing the kicker and quarterback. I think, since everything else is really subjective, they should be able to take into account the acting skills of a Ryan Longwell throwing himself to the ground and writhing in pain after someone brushed his big toe. I bet if running into/roughing calls were reviewed in slow mo, upwards of 80% of them would be found to be ‘overly dramatic bitchbaby whining’. I also think the quarterback should be able to be tackled like a mofo. The three count after the ball has left his hand rule is ridiculous since it’s hard for a three hundred pound lineman to stop his momentum in two seconds.
I see a lot of offensive pass interference that doesn’t get called. You also see a lot of defensive linemen lining up in the neutral zone. That rarely gets called.
On the other hand, a part of the game that I think is diminished by ticky-tack calls is the kick return game. It’s an exciting part of the game that’s neutralized what seems about 70% of the time by the officials.
This is a huge issue. Almost every huge run back is called back by holding or illegal block in the back. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even care about the run back until AFTER it’s done because I know there’s going to be a penalty.
A runner may ward off opponents with his hands and arms but no other player on offense may use hands or arms to obstruct an opponent by grasping with hands, pushing, or encircling any part of his body during a block. Hands (open or closed) can be thrust forward to initially contact an opponent on or outside the opponent’s frame, but the blocker immediately must work to bring his hands on or inside the frame.
As an ex-football player, yes, there is holding on every play, no double about it. I’d say every lineman holds to some degree on 75% of the plays. The extent and duration of the hold is a different matter altogether.
While that may be the stated rule, the rule used to call the penalty, as told to my team by the head league officials for the RMAC a D2 school: Holding will only be called when it is either outside the frame of the defenders body or there is a secondary action with that hold, such as a twist or pull. Now admittedly the last time I got a rules update was two years ago but that one didn’t change over 5 years of college football and seems to be the one I see enforced in the NFL. Holding and using it to maintain position is Ok but once you use that hold to pull someone back in front of you or bring them to the ground it’s holding. Great side note linemen gloves are banned from being non-team colors because there was a problem with guys buying gloves to match the opposing jersey so holding outside the frame would be harder to spot. Not that I ever held to gain an advantage.
Over all the game would proceed much slower and be much lower scoring if all of the rules were enforced and it would just lead to a shrinking of the rulebook.
I’d love to see something like they have in soccer where, if the penalty doesn’t have a real effect on the play, it is not enforced.
For instance, if the pass is going 30 yards down to the left and the right-side CB illegally touches a WR, we don’t stop he play.
I think you are confusing holding with the “open hand” rule. At one point, a blocker couldn’t use an open had at all, even in pass blocking. Now you can, but your open hands must be inside the defenders frame. Initial contact can be made outside the frame, but the open hands must immediately be brought inside.
Did you really mean to say that “holding and using it to maintain position is Ok”? Do you really think you can hold onto a defender as long as you do it inside his frame???
Once the ball has been thrown, this is the rule. However, if there’s illegal contact before the ball is thrown it’s pretty much impossible to determine whether the play was originally supposed go the right side and the QB was forced to try his second option down the left side, or not.
He’s speaking from NCAA experience, and yes, that’s exactly how holding is called o the NCAA level. Grabbing inside the frame and not impeding progress is “grabbing” not “holding” and considered legal by philosophy, even if not outright by the rule.
“Holding is a two-verb foul” is another axiom that is used, meaning there must be a grab and and hinder, or a twist and a pull, a hook and a turn, etc.
The other issue is that holding falls under the fouls called under the principle of advantage/disadvantage (again, philosophy, not rules) and is generally not called if the defender would have been unable to make a play, anyway (left tackle holds on a sweep to the right, for instance).
Determining delay of game (letting the play clock run down) and proper spotting of the ball could be better achieved with small emitters in each end of the ball, and some sort of sensor grid in the field. Movement, forward movement, and lack of movement could be (more) accurately detected.
The approach in rugby is even better: the referee waits to see if the non-offending team prospers anyway; if not, play is halted and the penalty awarded.
Not that I ever held to gain an advantage.