Defensive PI

[LovinItAll]

IMO, this rule has to change. I don’t advocate the NFL adopting the college rule, but I’m sick of DPI on a 40 yard play giving the offense the ball at the 2. A couple of variants:

- DPI on balls thrown from beyond the 20, offense gets the ball at the 10.
- DPI on balls thrown from the 20 and closer, half the distance

—or—

- If the DPI occurs more than half the distance from anywhere, make it half the distance. Otherwise, keep it as a spot foul. Ex: A ball thrown from the 50 to inside the 20 that results in DPI, offense gets the ball at the 25. It’s still a HUGE penalty, but not an auto TD (if the PI occurs in the EZ)

Still a much more egregious penalty than the college rule, but also more fair for the defense.

 

[Jammer]

I can see both sides, but if the defense knows they are only going to be penalized a certain amount there is no stopping a defensive player basically tackling a receiver if the guy gets beat for a sure long gain or a TD

 

[Flamma]

IMO, this rule has to change. I don’t advocate the NFL adopting the college rule, but I’m sick of DPI on a 40 yard play giving the offense the ball at the 2. A couple of variants:

- DPI on balls thrown from beyond the 20, offense gets the ball at the 10.
- DPI on balls thrown from the 20 and closer, half the distance

—or—

- If the DPI occurs more than half the distance from anywhere, make it half the distance. Otherwise, keep it as a spot foul. Ex: A ball thrown from the 50 to inside the 20 that results in DPI, offense gets the ball at the 25. It’s still a HUGE penalty, but not an auto TD (if the PI occurs in the EZ)

Still a much more egregious penalty than the college rule, but also more fair for the defense.

The only problem I see with this is that it will just encourage more of the same from these DBs. Right now for the life of me I can never understand why DBs play the WR so poorly. Nothing good can happen when you contact the WR before the ball gets there. You're just giving them the yards. Make him catch it!

I agree that it is ridiculous that DPI ends up getting all of those yards. But I think it is more a result of very poor DB play than anything else. These DBs refuse to turn around no matter how far down the field they are.

 

[LovinItAll]

The only problem I see with this is that it will just encourage more of the same from these DBs. Right now for the life of me I can never understand why DBs play the WR so poorly. Nothing good can happen when you contact the WR before the ball gets there. You're just giving them the yards. Make him catch it!

I agree that it is ridiculous that DPI ends up getting all of those yards. But I think it is more a result of very poor DB play than anything else. These DBs refuse to turn around no matter how far down the field they are.

i hear ya, but I’ve been watching this nonsense for 50 years and it’s always bugged me. How many times have we seen good coverage, the QB underthrows the ball, the OP hits the brakes, the DP HAS to run into him, then DPI. Even in my example, it would still be a huge penalty, but not an auto TD if DPI happens in the EZ/inside the 5…whatever.

I know the refs don’t call it often, but the Hail Mary with time expiring into the EZ that DOES get called gives the offense a free play at the 2 to potentially win. Again, I know it’s rare, but it has happened.

I just don’t like it. My entire yard is fenced and I closed my gate on Halloween so that I didn’t have to give candy to kids I’m just old and cranky (and the Braves game was on).

 

[Flamma]

i hear ya, but I’ve been watching this nonsense for 50 years and it’s always bugged me. How many times have we seen good coverage, the QB underthrows the ball, the OP hits the brakes, the DP HAS to run into him, then DPI. Even in my example, it would still be a huge penalty, but not an auto TD if DPI happens in the EZ/inside the 5…whatever.

I know the refs don’t call it often, but the Hail Mary with time expiring into the EZ that DOES get called gives the offense a free play at the 2 to potentially win. Again, I know it’s rare, but it has happened.

I just don’t like it. My entire yard is fenced and I closed my gate on Halloween so that I didn’t have to give candy to kids I’m just old and cranky (and the Braves game was on).

I understand your example on the underthrown ball. But that's on the DB. I've played a ton of football in my life. A lot of people play football. Even though 90% of the time I played WR, I played DB on occasion. I was not a good CB, but I never ran into the WR no matter what. You can't do that. Turn around. Everson Walls turned around. Diggs looks back the the QB even though he gets handsy sometimes. You can't just run after the WR and be shocked when he stops. They have to be better than that. Just look back for the ball. The good DBs do it.