Three items that will possibly be addressed by the Competition Committee

[LandryFan]

How about getting the league office out of replay challenges?

IIRC, the reason the league got involved was because the on-field officials were misinterpreting/misapplying the rules. The only problem with that became, the league officials did even worse.

 

[LandryFan]

As long as the number of available challenges isn't change and PI isn't instantly reviewable, I'm not totally against it. But honestly, I'd rather they left it alone.

PI is one of those judgment calls that, if challengeable, it would likely not get reversed if initially called, but could very well get called after review when not initially called. I'd rather they just leave that out of replay and change the penalty to a predetermined yardage (15 yard max, auto 1st down).

 

[MrPeanutbutter]

PI is one of those judgment calls that, if challengeable, it would likely not get reversed if initially called, but could very well get called after review when not initially called. I'd rather they just leave that out of replay and change the penalty to a predetermined yardage (15 yard max, auto 1st down).

Definitely. I hate that the play is treated like a completion when the receiver didn't catch the ball.

 

[Gaede]

I think making pass interference reviewable is going to be a real problem. Heck, there is some element of pass interference on almost every single play.

I'd hate to see it.come to that

Games would be 10 hrs long

 

[LandryFan]

Definitely. I hate that the play is treated like a completion when the receiver didn't catch the ball.

The other thing about PI that bothers me is that it is not supposed to be called if the pass is deemed "not catchable". I don't think I've ever seen an official use that reason not to call PI...ever.

 

[jazzcat22]

Why don't they jusat add 2 refs, that watch for the PI's. One for that, and one for the OL and all the holding calls.
And make the refs a full time job.

PI's has always been subjective, and it still will be if reviewed.

 

[MrPeanutbutter]

I'd hate to see it.come to that

Games would be 10 hrs long

It would almost certainly require a challenge flag thrown, and those are limited. So, in principle, it wouldn't actually make the game longer on second thought. The last 2 minutes challenges might take a while, though.

 

[starman22]

No more bailing teams out by chucking up 65 yarders.

I mostly agree with this except when a receiver gets tackled because the defensive player knows they are beat off the line.

 

[CowboyGil]

Of the three, expanding the playoffs from 12 to 14 will likely pass. From what I've been hearing, even though people are upset with the Dez Bryant no catch, reversing the rule is going to create more problems than what it's worth.
The pass interference replay is going to slow the game down and is going to result in more pass interference calls because the refs can rely on the replay as a crutch. And I doubt the league wants refs to be hesitant in making their calls.

The expansion from 12 to 14 is all about money. And the league likes more money. But, from my calculation, that would mean you'll have seven teams make the playoffs in each division. That means you'll have the 6th and 7th seed playing a wild-wild card week, and then the 1st and 2nd seeds would have a two-week bye before they start play. Would a two-week bye be advantageous? Are my calculations off?

I would think they would only give the 1 seed the bye and play two wildcard games on say, Thursday night, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. One NFC and one AFC each day.

 

[Crown Royal]

It makes me very uncomfortable that Mara has come to the defense of the Cowboys. I'm still not over his cap-stealing stunt from two years ago.

 

[jazzcat22]

Pettigrew committed a 'hands to the face' penalty on Hitchens that same play. Why does nobody talk about this.

Also, Dez's catch was a catch whether they change the rules or not. arggg

I think they should make PI the spot of the foul, unless it is over 15 yards, then just make it 15 yard penalty. No more bailing teams out by chucking up 65 yarders.

Also, they seriously need to consider getting away from automatic first downs.

I agree and disagree....if only a 15 yarder, the every DB will interfere with a 65 yarder, better to give up the 15 than the TD. Will happen just about every time.
The theory is, don't interfere, and create a spot foul, when he may just not catch it. Guess it could be a determination if a blatant PI, or happens in the course of the play. Again a subjective call.

They would need a medium somewhere on the penalty yardage.
Something out of the box like, if under 25 yards, spot foul and first down. If over 25 yards, penalty is half the distance where the foul occurred or which ever is greater distance.

As for automatic first downs, again is subjective. I hate that a team gets a 1st down if it's 3rd and 25, but a 5 yard penalty gets a 1st down.
However, if not for the penalty, could it have been caught for a 1st down or a TD.
However, if the penalty was away from the play, on opposite side of the field, then only 5 yards and still 3rd down, give them the free play.
But then you have the theorist who say, well if he didn't hold, then he wouldn't have had to throw it to someone else.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

4. Competition committee busy

It will be a busy offseason for the competition committee, with several high-profile issues up for consideration.

There is the possible re-writing of the Calvin Johnson Rule.
The competition committee is to revisit the issue this offseason. One committee member, Giants co-owner John Mara, said during an ESPN Radio interview last week that he was “very uncomfortable” watching the Bryant play called an incompletion even though the ruling was, in his view, “probably the right call technically, according to the language that was in the rule book.”

There is the prospect of making pass interference reviewable by instant replay. That consideration stems from the uproar over the officials calling interference against the Cowboys, then picking up the flag and not calling interference against the Cowboys, at a key moment in their first-round playoff triumph over the Lions.

There also is the proposal to expand the NFL playoff field from 12 to 14 teams beginning next season. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he expects the owners to vote on that measure in March at the annual league meeting. But first the competition committee will have to work out the final details of the proposal, such as when the six opening-round playoff games would be played. It appears likely that one of those games would be on Monday night.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...tom-brady-best-coach-qb-combo-in-nfl-history/

#4
Let's call hits on the quarterback consistently or NOT AT ALL

 

[theogt]

Let's just make the game slower.

Teams would still have the same amount of challenges. Perhaps this would mean more challenges would be used but I doubt it's a material impact one way or the other.

 

[links18]

The other thing about PI that bothers me is that it is not supposed to be called if the pass is deemed "not catchable". I don't think I've ever seen an official use that reason not to call PI...ever.

Madden used to say, "How do you know it wouldn't have been catchable, if he wasn't interfered with?"

 

[links18]

Teams would still have the same amount of challenges. Perhaps this would mean more challenges would be used but I doubt it's a material impact one way or the other.

The last two minutes might take an eternity then.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Of the three, expanding the playoffs from 12 to 14 will likely pass. From what I've been hearing, even though people are upset with the Dez Bryant no catch, reversing the rule is going to create more problems than what it's worth.
The pass interference replay is going to slow the game down and is going to result in more pass interference calls because the refs can rely on the replay as a crutch. And I doubt the league wants refs to be hesitant in making their calls.

The expansion from 12 to 14 is all about money. And the league likes more money. But, from my calculation, that would mean you'll have seven teams make the playoffs in each division. That means you'll have the 6th and 7th seed playing a wild-wild card week, and then the 1st and 2nd seeds would have a two-week bye before they start play. Would a two-week bye be advantageous? Are my calculations off?

No what would happen is only the number 1 seed would have a bye. So seeds 2-7 would play wild card then the three winners move on in the divisional round to play the 1 seed

 

[LandryFan]

Madden used to say, "How do you know it wouldn't have been catchable, if he wasn't interfered with?"

And I agree with Madden to an extent, although some passes seem to be obviously "not catchable" (20 feet over the receiver's head out of bounds). But that's neither here nor there. Simply take the "not catchable" language out of the equation all together or use it the way it was intended. I really don't think I've ever seen it used. What could be happening that none of us realize, however, is that officials were simply not throwing flags on some plays because they did deem the passes "uncatchable" and we just didn't know that because nothing was said. Who knows?

 

[tideh20heel]

Was also thinking about that. Leave it to the on field judges the way I believe it used to be..

Or at least a judge in the box in the stadium. Outside of the IRS the NFL league office is about the shadiest thing going.

 

[locked&loaded]

I agree and disagree....if only a 15 yarder, the every DB will interfere with a 65 yarder, better to give up the 15 than the TD. Will happen just about every time.
The theory is, don't interfere, and create a spot foul, when he may just not catch it. Guess it could be a determination if a blatant PI, or happens in the course of the play. Again a subjective call.

They would need a medium somewhere on the penalty yardage.
Something out of the box like, if under 25 yards, spot foul and first down. If over 25 yards, penalty is half the distance where the foul occurred or which ever is greater distance.

As for automatic first downs, again is subjective. I hate that a team gets a 1st down if it's 3rd and 25, but a 5 yard penalty gets a 1st down.
However, if not for the penalty, could it have been caught for a 1st down or a TD.
However, if the penalty was away from the play, on opposite side of the field, then only 5 yards and still 3rd down, give them the free play.
But then you have the theorist who say, well if he didn't hold, then he wouldn't have had to throw it to someone else.

All great points.

 

[MRV52]

Let's just make the game slower.

In the CFL they have implemented replay on pass Interference, I first I hated the idea but It has been very good rule change as ridiculous calls have been reversed.