Three rule changes I'd like to see

[SkilletHead2]

One college, one pro, one both

1. College Pass interference: Pass interference penalty back to the same as in pros. On a 40 yard pass, if you're beat, why wouldn't you just tackle the guy? Penalty is much better than the catch.

2. Pro Catch: First body part that hits. If it's in bounds, it's a catch. Much simpler and easier to determine.

3. Both Intentional grounding: Where's the actual penalty? You're going to be tackled for a loss, why not give it a try. Should be at least five yards from the spot!

 

[RutgersRaRa]

One college, one pro, one both

1. College Pass interference: Pass interference penalty back to the same as in pros. On a 40 yard pass, if you're beat, why wouldn't you just tackle the guy? Penalty is much better than the catch.

2. Pro Catch: First body part that hits. If it's in bounds, it's a catch. Much simpler and easier to determine.

3. Both Intentional grounding: Where's the actual penalty? You're going to be tackled for a loss, why not give it a try. Should be at least five yards from the spot!

#1. I'm of the opposite opinion, such that it should be a 15-yard penalty in the pros and college. Spot fouls assume that the ball would have been caught, and if a statistical analysis is done on balls that are dropped when there is no interference it would (rightly) minimize the awarded yardage.
#2. I can live with that.
#3. I'm pretty sure intentional grounding is five yards and loss of down. (Huskers?)

 

[SkilletHead2]

#1. I'm of the opposite opinion, such that it should be a 15-yard penalty in the pros and college. Spot fouls assume that the ball would have been caught, and if a statistical analysis is done on balls that are dropped when there is no interference it would (rightly) minimize the awarded yardage.
#2. I can live with that.
#3. I'm pretty sure intentional grounding is five yards and loss of down. (Huskers?)

If it went to fifteen yards in the pros, you would just see tons of pass interference calls. To me, there has to be a penalty for a rules infraction. Fifteen yards is a gift on many passes. Plus, even the spot rule doesn't take into account YAC. Also, at the college level, I believe it is a spot foul if done within fifteen yards of the line of scrimmage. Again, there's no penalty in the penalty.

 

[RU4Real]

I can buy Skillet's rule changes.

I miss the old "halo rule". But, in fairness, the only reason I miss it is because I used to call it "the best 5 yards in football".

Those old enough will remember the 1992 Pitt game. It was a Thursday night ESPN game, the first ever at RU.

On a Rutgers punt, Malik Jackson absolutely devastated the Pitt return man a good second before the ball ever got to him. We got flagged for the 5 yards and people were complaining about what a stupid mistake Jackson had made. I said, "Nope. Just wait."

Sure enough, the next time we punted, Jackson came gunning down the field and the Pitt returner muffed the punt. We recovered and scored.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

If it went to fifteen yards in the pros, you would just see tons of pass interference calls. To me, there has to be a penalty for a rules infraction. Fifteen yards is a gift on many passes. Plus, even the spot rule doesn't take into account YAC. Also, at the college level, I believe it is a spot foul if done within fifteen yards of the line of scrimmage. Again, there's no penalty in the penalty.

I agree with a spot foul when less than 15 yards, but beyond that there have been so many passes that weren't catchable or likely to have been caught, and the assumption that every ball would have been caught isn't sensible. I think college has it right since they award significant yardage and an automatic first down, but the assumption that the 40-yard-bombs would have been caught isn't plausible. Also, the automatic first down offsets the YAC argument, since not every ball thrown would've been caught and therefore nullifies YACs. But every penalty results in a first down, plus the 15 yards. I think it's equitable.

 

[SkilletHead2]

I agree with a spot foul when less than 15 yards, but beyond that there have been so many passes that weren't catchable or likely to have been caught, and the assumption that every ball would have been caught isn't sensible. I think college has it right since they award significant yardage and an automatic first down, but the assumption that the 40-yard-bombs would have been caught isn't plausible. Also, the automatic first down offsets the YAC argument, since not every ball thrown would've been caught and therefore nullifies YACs. But every penalty results in a first down, plus the 15 yards. I think it's equitable.

Have to agree to disagree on that. There is already the "ball wasn't catchable" clause in the pass interference rule. Most receivers catch balls that are catchable most of the time. In the pros, the percentage is even higher, but way above 50% at both college and pros.

 

[RUTGERZ_R00LZ]

I can buy Skillet's rule changes.

I miss the old "halo rule". But, in fairness, the only reason I miss it is because I used to call it "the best 5 yards in football".

Those old enough will remember the 1992 Pitt game. It was a Thursday night ESPN game, the first ever at RU.

On a Rutgers punt, Malik Jackson absolutely devastated the Pitt return man a good second before the ball ever got to him. We got flagged for the 5 yards and people were complaining about what a stupid mistake Jackson had made. I said, "Nope. Just wait."

Sure enough, the next time we punted, Jackson came gunning down the field and the Pitt returner muffed the punt. We recovered and scored.

I remember that game. I brought my friend a Pitt grad. It was billed as a Thursday Knight game with temporary lights. On the opening drive, RU would be at the (approx.) 5 yard line and RU went for a TD on 4 straight times instead of a field goal on 4th down. The big play was a TD pass caught by James Guarantano. Eventually RU won and I was a happy camper.

 

[RU76]

To complete a pass the ball must stay off the ground. PERIOD.

 

[RUonBrain]

I agree with OP on #3

Intentional grounding is a spot foul - no extra yardage (I don't believe)

Very stupid, and I don't know all QBs don't try it on most sacks

 

[LC-88]

Offsides on a kickoff should be a reviewable call in the ACC.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Have to agree to disagree on that. There is already the "ball wasn't catchable" clause in the pass interference rule. Most receivers catch balls that are catchable most of the time. In the pros, the percentage is even higher, but way above 50% at both college and pros.

I think the pros instituted the spot foul to favor scoring. The adage that "offense puts people in the seats" filters down through the rules, and is especially obvious in the way the rules favor the offense in the NFL. There are just too many ticky-tack fouls called (hand-checking, for instance) that result in a 40-yard spot foul.

There are other inequitable rules that are inherently inconsistent, the most egregious of which is the awarding of an automatic first down, regardless of whether the penalty happened on first down or fourth. I have thought about this for a couple of years, and would be fine if penalties were yardage only, but didn't impact the down. Or perhaps the awarding of one extra down, but not two or three.

 

[SkilletHead2]

I think the pros instituted the spot foul to favor scoring. The adage that "offense puts people in the seats" filters down through the rules, and is especially obvious in the way the rules favor the offense in the NFL. There are just too many ticky-tack fouls called (hand-checking, for instance) that result in a 40-yard spot foul.

There are other inequitable rules that are inherently inconsistent, the most egregious of which is the awarding of an automatic first down, regardless of whether the penalty happened on first down or fourth. I have thought about this for a couple of years, and would be fine if penalties were yardage only, but didn't impact the down. Or perhaps the awarding of one extra down, but not two or three.

Seems to me that you can get away with an awful lot of contact these days. If you had a spot foul, and replay of the down, then not awarding an automatic first down would be OK by me.

To me, the goal should be to make the penalty sufficiently stiff to make committing the foul not be advantageous. Currently, in the college game especially, it is clearly advantageous to commit pass interference when you are beaten.

 

[robcac26]

I would just greatly appreciate if they could make it so you don't need a law degree to know what a catch is anymore.

Also, there are too many touchbacks and they are all boring, so why not have the kickers kick off from closer to their end zone?

 

[1stand3rd]

For both college and pro, get rid of the penalty for intentional grounding, but remove all rules protecting the QB (other than roughing the passer). If the QB isn't smart enough to get rid of the ball, he's on his own.

 

[daveo13]

Can't stand what's reviewable or not reviewable. Last night Indiana got screwed because they wouldn't review the field goal attempt which clearly was good.

 

[jason21psu]

1. Most of the NFL media prefer the college rule because how subjective of a call PI is. I remember there was discussion about having spot fouls for intentional PI, like tackling the WR when you're beat, and a 15 yard PI when it's those subjective calls. In theory it sounds good.

2. Is it really an issue determining 1 feet or 2? An elbow, butt, knee all already count as 2 feet. I feel like the hardest part of determining the sideline catch is determining whether or not the WR has possession of the ball.

3. I could go either way. Penalties are really to prevent "cheating". Awarding a defense a sack when it clear the QB was going to take a sack seems fair to me but if you want to add 5 yards to it that's fine

4. I agree with all calls should be reviewable. The still photo of the Indiana kick sure looked good to me.

5. Embrace technology, would it be that hard to have a laser or some other sensor on top of the field goal posts to know whether or not the ball crossed inside the upright? Or if the ball crosses the end line?

 

[Pils86]

My rule is in the last two minutes of a game if an offensive play does not gain positive yardage the clock stops. I hate the kneeling with almost two minutes to go.

 

[jerzesurf]

Players hair under helmet must not touch shoulders

 

[RUJMM78]

What about the fact on almost every play there is some form of holding on offense and defense and its not called?

 

[ruready4somefootball]

I always hated the crossing the goal line rule as it pertains to breaking the plane. It would be a fumble anywhere else on the field except there. Come down after the play with the ball or else it's a fumble.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

1. Most of the NFL media prefer the college rule because how subjective of a call PI is. I remember there was discussion about having spot fouls for intentional PI, like tackling the WR when you're beat, and a 15 yard PI when it's those subjective calls. In theory it sounds good...

+1. I've been arguing with friends that refs should have more latitude to determine severity of penalties, especially with personal fouls. There are two grades of "running into the kicker" penalties, one is 5 yards and the other is 15, and it's up to the ref to decide which offense was committed. Same thing with facemark penalties. Regarding personal fouls, there should be at least two options given to refs, since sometimes there are sideline brushes in which a defensive player touches a player running out of bounds, and if the ref thinks it rises to the level of a personal foul, it's 15 yards and an automatic first down, which is such overkill. Refs should be awarded discretion since their involvement in the game is necessary, and just as necessary is that they are given the tools to make sure the penalty meets the offense. I'm not a big fan of spot fouls unless it was obvious the defender purposely fouled the receiver, and I'm not a fan of automatic first downs since the same penalty can result in a first down even if it happened on third or fourth down. Giving an offense two extra downs plus yards is too much.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

I can buy Skillet's rule changes.

I miss the old "halo rule". But, in fairness, the only reason I miss it is because I used to call it "the best 5 yards in football".

Those old enough will remember the 1992 Pitt game. It was a Thursday night ESPN game, the first ever at RU.

On a Rutgers punt, Malik Jackson absolutely devastated the Pitt return man a good second before the ball ever got to him. We got flagged for the 5 yards and people were complaining about what a stupid mistake Jackson had made. I said, "Nope. Just wait."

Sure enough, the next time we punted, Jackson came gunning down the field and the Pitt returner muffed the punt. We recovered and scored.

I was at that game and had seats next to the Pitt section.
Their fans hated their head coach at the time.
I was cheering extra loud for RU that night to irritate them.