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July 31, 2007

Officials' take

As we told you earlier, a team of NFL officials, headed by referee Larry Nemmers, a motivational speaker in his 23rd year as an official (his 17th as a referee), are here today to go over the new rule changes with the Patriots players and staff.

The media screened the same video the players did earlier, which talked about the new rule changes for the 2007 season as well as the points of emphasis. Several times it was mentioned that the safety of the players is paramount; we also noticed that more than once players were told that their behavior and conduct -- on and off the field -- are what helps make their game great.

One of the new rules is that spiking or throwing the the ball after a down is over -- except after a touchdown -- will draw a 5-yard penalty. According to the video, having the officials retrieve the ball was a delay of game, and it wasn't very sportsmanlike.

It is also now a 15-yard personal foul is a defensive player makes a below-the-waist block or tackle on an eligible receiver when the quarterback is in the pocket and the ball has not left his hand. This was a 5-yard penalty before.

The competition committee voted to keep the maximum time allowed for an officials' review at 60 seconds and to keep down by contact as a reviewable play. These were on a trial basis last year and are now permanent.

Points of emphasis include taunting, illegal contact and defensive holding, roughing the quarterback and an airborne runner at the goal line.

With roughing the quarterback, it will no longer be called if a quarterback "is shoved to the ground as part of one continuous act by the defender while attempting to tackle him." But if it is a late hit or done as punishment, it will still be called.

The airborne runner goes to what is or isn't a touchdown and will become consistent with rules already in place with regards to the sideline.

Per the rulebook:

"Currently an airborne runner has to get any part of his body to pass over or inside the pylon before he touches out of bounds to be awarded a score. This is not consistent with spotting the ball anywhere else along the sideline. The Competition Committee recommends that an airborne player must get any part of the football to pass over or inside the goal line pylon before he touches out of bounds to be awarded a score."

Interestingly, Nemmers said he likes the NFL's defensive pass interference rule, which spots the ball at the point of the foul rather than in college, where it is a 15-yard penalty maximum. Patriots fans remember that a highly questionable pass interference call against Ellis Hobbs in the AFC title game led to a Colts' touchdown.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:46 PM | Permalink