NFL rule changes

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"CLOBIMON" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: @"Tyr" said:

I'm not a fan of that rule change at all. Calls on the field are subjective as it is and it feels like another way to hurt defenses. I would just rather keep the game moving and accept that there will always be bad calls.

Before it was always "everyone knows it was a blown call, the booth knows, the teams know, the people at home know, but we're going to cover our eyes because, hey, we have a rule." 

I just think it should be handled or fixed differently.  Different in a way that doesn't give the coaches a direct hand in it.  The truth is that blatant PI penalties like what happened to the Saints are nearly never not called.  That was an obvious-obvious penalty, not subjective, and shouldn't have been swept under the "didn't see it rug."  If something like that happens again it should be called down by a booth official and corrected. 

My fear is that coaches are going to be able to abuse this and benefit from it by having non-called subjective, ticky-tack interference plays turned into penalties with a challenge.  The outcome of games could flip from a hand simply touching a receiver that happens on every pass breakup.  My hope is that the officiating won't make it an 'automatic' penalty if the replay shows typical jockeying and reserve it for only the most blatant of non-calls.

Fair point. I suppose an extreme example would be holding. If they were able to review that we'd never get anywhere. 

How easy is it going to be for an official to blow a few PI calls just to get the coaches to use up their challenges

I'm against the rule change.
This came about because of a non call that may or may not have changed the outcome of the game.
This change is likely to change the outcome of several games throughout the season.
If the game is close with more than 2 minutes left, challenges will used. I think the coaches will save their challenges for the 4th quarter if they can. But they will use them in every game.
I would rather they just fined or fired the ref who was standing right there looking at the play, instead of changing the rule.
I feel differently about their stupid catch rules.
But the solution is better refs!

I am fine with it as long as they are only allowed one challenge of this type per game, then regardless if they are correct in their challenge or not they still only receive one.  By definition there is holding and pass interference on a high percentage of pass plays.  Under the current system a coach could challenge 2 PI calls and if right get a third.  They could then save both challenges for the 4th quarter.  If a team is trailing they could continue to throw the ball deep and get enough contact to "per the rule book" get a PI call.  This would result in either teams getting 3 PI's called, resulting in 3 quick scoring plays to get back into a game or it could make defenses play not as tight coverage and basically let the QB and receiver play catch also resulting in quick score.