Troy Vincent: Defensive pass interference could become a 15-yard penalty

[boozeman]

Troy Vincent: Defensive pass interference could become a 15-yard penalty

Posted by Mike Florio on February 24, 2015, 2:32 PM EST


In past years, teams periodically have pushed for a transformation of the defensive pass interference penalty from being a spot-foul to a 15-yard walk-off. Recently, there’s been no momentum toward making a change of that nature.

There may be now.

NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent told Judy Battista of NFL Media that the league may explore making defensive pass interference a 15-yard penalty as an alternative to making pass interference subject to replay review.

While that tends to take the sting out of a bad pass interference call, it creates a fresh incentive for defensive backs to tackle any receivers who get behind them. Why not gladly give up 15 yards in lieu of being burned deep?

It makes much more sense to make pass interference subject to replay review, as the CFL did in 2014. Getting it right should be about getting it right, not reducing dramatically the potential consequences of getting it wrong.

Far better than to make defensive pass interference a 15-yard penalty would be to create two tiers of pass interference, as there is for roughing/running into the kicker and as there used to be for face mask fouls. While far from a perfect outcome, it’s much better than removing the spot-foul outcome of defensive pass interference.

 

[data]

To the point of cbs gleefully willing to give up 15 yards and tackling a WR speeding by instead, isnt the same true about an OL willing to hold instead of a strip sack blindside-hit-Romo-out-for-season the same?

 

[Clay_Allison]

To the point of cbs gleefully willing to give up 15 yards and tackling a WR speeding by instead, isnt the same true about an OL willing to hold instead of a strip sack blindside-hit-Romo-out-for-season the same?

Also, college teams seem perfectly capable of playing football despite PI being 15 yards.

 

[ravidubey]

I like it, mostly. A 15 yard penalty is seriously punitive in today's game while still not automatically handing the other team a monster play the receiver might not have even made.

Maybe they can can compromise: The first 15+ yard PI penalty is capped at 15 yards, and any subsequent 15+ yard PI called on that defense is uncapped for the remainder of the game. That might even deter more penalties than by just going uncapped.

 

[Texas Ace]

Needs to remain a spot foul.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I like it, mostly. A 15 yard penalty is seriously punitive in today's game while still not automatically handing the other team a monster play the receiver might not have even made.

Maybe they can can compromise: The first 15+ yard PI penalty is capped at 15 yards, and any subsequent 15+ yard PI called on that defense is uncapped for the remainder of the game. That might even deter more penalties than by just going uncapped.

Another solution could be to make it a two tiered penalty like we see with running into the kicker. You could make pass interference 15 yard penalty for the lesser variety while making it a spot foul on the blatant stuff. This would prevent players from just intentionally dragging guys down who are toast.

Of course then you open yourself up to another can of worms when one gets called a spot but people feel it should have been a 15 yarder.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Another solution could be to make it a two tiered penalty like we see with running into the kicker. You could make pass interference 15 yard penalty for the lesser variety while making it a spot foul on the blatant stuff. This would prevent players from just intentionally dragging guys down who are toast.

Of course then you open yourself up to another can of worms when one gets called a spot but people feel it should have been a 15 yarder.

You have already indicated what my objection to a paired penalty approach would be. This is aready a subjective call in some cases and tiering it would compound that.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

You have already indicated what my objection to a paired penalty approach would be. This is aready a subjective call in some cases and tiering it would compound that.

To be fair pass interference already drives me nuts. What guys get away with doing to Dez for example gets called all the time with guys does the same stuff to a different WR. Stuff that the Seahawks defense gets away with in terms of contact and grabbing and holding on defense, no other defense in the NFL is given that type of freedom.

I don't know how to fix it though. We all know replay would be a horrible way. Hell replay can't even get the obvious stuff right. I sure as hell don't want it scrutinizing plays to decide if there is PI.