Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that NFL leaders and the competition committee plan to give consideration this offseason to the possibility of making pass interference calls subject to instant replay review.
“It will be discussed at length along with additional fouls that coaches feel should be subject to review,” a person familiar with the league’s inner workings tells Maske.
In order for there to be a rule change, the NFL would need to approve it by at least three-quarters of the 32 owners.
In the past, the NFL competition committee has been opposed to making judgment calls like pass interference subject to review, but the fallout from Sunday’s NFC title game could lead to an increased level of support for a rule change.
Saints HC Sean Payton told reporters that he spoke with the NFL after their loss to the Rams and the league told him that they missed the call.
“They blew the call,” Payton said. “It’s a game-changing call — third down with 1:45 left. A tough one to swallow. My problem with it is, if we’re playing pickup football in the backyard, it was as obvious a call. How two guys can look at that and come up with their decision — we’ll probably never get over it. The truth is — some of these losses — one like that — it’s too bad.”
Rams CB Nickell Robey-Coleman admitted after the game that it should have been called pass interference.
We’ll have more regarding potential rule changes as the news is available.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
The NFL so called officiating has been HORRIBLE for years if not decades. The officiating has gotten HORRIBLE ever since the Patriots/Raiders “Tuck Rule Game”. The call that royally screwed the Raiders. And the 2018-2019 playoffs were NO different. The Saints were royally screwed on that play with 1:45 left. That play had not ONE but THREE choices of penalties on one play, with two officials directly in the area of the foul.The foul itself could have been called: a) the obvious pass interference, b) illegal hit to the head, c) a hit on a defenseless receiver and the so called refs did nothing.
What about the phantom 15 yard roughing the passer call against the Chiefs late in the 4th quarter. There was NO contact with Brady’s helmet at all on numerous replays. Yet! The refs saw it as roughing the passer. WOW!
What about the Bears playoff game reffing mishap! The Bears’ receiver makes an obvious catch and football move before fumbling the ball. No player from either team recovers the ball, the ref picks the ball up and the play is blown dead. The head ref had NO clue at all on how to explain the play that just transpired and basically replayed the down from the original spot. WRONG CALL. The play is actually a completed pass with a fumble, which was eventually touched by an official (who is neutral). Which MEANS the play is a catch and fumble and the ref touching the ball ends that play and the new line of scrimmage starts where the player fumbled the ball. It should have been the Bears’ ball, 1st/10 inside the 5. This is not rocket science.
Well! Sheriff Goofball Goodell got his wish of a Left Coast/East Coast Super Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl would have been MUCH more interesting had it been Brady vs. Brees. Now! The year ender is the Patriots vs. Rams. Thanks! In large part to HORRIBLE officiating.