http://blogs.nbcsports.com/home/archives/2008/04/rules-changes-in-force-out-coi.html So the questionable force-out rule has now been outlawed by the league. Will this affect scoring in any way? I for one was not a fan of the force out rule, boundaries are there for a reason and are used to the defenders advantage in most sports. Coaches will now be able to defer after winning the toss (Madden style) The one I most like is probably the new face-mask rule. No more stupid little 5 yard penalties for incidental contact, its now all or nothing. 15 yard personal foul calls only.
I disagree with them not voting on the seeding rule. So if an 8-8 or 7-9 team wins their division, they should be rewarded for sucking? I think changing the force-out rule was a good move. It's too subjective of a call to make and one that they often get wrong. Why should the defender get punished for making a good play?
Unbalanced scheduling in the NFL makes the Division Winner actually mean something versus for instance basketball.
Mark and Andre were talking about that earlier, and I kind of agreed that 1 foot in bounds makes a lot more sense. Any major part of the body in bounds should be good enough to establish possession.
In the last decade we have been seeing tall receivers like Owens and Moss run to the corner of the end zone, and out jump the defense for touchdowns. Now all defense has to do is play the receiver instead of going after the ball. As soon as the receiver jumps in the air, wait for them to catch the ball and push them out of bounds.
Except the timing has to be exactly right and he can't touch the receiver at all unless he looks back for the ball.
The foot-bone's connected to the, leg bone... the leg bone's connected to the... hip bone... the hip bone's connected to the... backbone... the backbone's connected to the... goshdarn it, the freakin' arm that's holding the FREAKIN' ball. One foot should be inbounds if they're doing away with the force out. I, for one, disliked the "force out"... if they're so good at the throw-and-catch, then don't throw it so close to the out-of-bounds line so that it's questionable or that the defender pushes him out. Very good year for rule-changes. The better receivers nowadays (Moss, Andre, Owens, Ocho Cinco) will know how to use this rule to their advantage. This is the SIDELINE MASTER of all times, ALWAYS had both feet inbounds, tip-toed:
I am down with that. Surprised the rules commitee made rules in favor of the defense though. I am confused about this other rule though: Does that mean a team could defer until the 2nd half, but decide they want to kick off instead of recieve? So kicking off to start the game and kicking off in the 3rd quarter?
I wonder if this will make WRs more of a target on "out" routes than they are now. Also, the jump-ball passes to the corner of the end zone may be harder to complete.
Disagree. He can forget about looking back for the ball, wait until it's caught, and then shove the crap out of the guy to make sure he lands out of bounds. Because of that possibility now, I think I liked the forceout.. I thought they did a pretty good job of calling it most of the time. Happy they got rid of grasp and release facemask penalties...though I'm not sure if that rule change is saying they're getting rid of ALL 5 yarders. I bet if you grasp and hold but don't twist or yank, it could still be a 5-er?
Never understood the force-out rule, if the defender pushes them out, then that's a great play on their part. BTW, anyone else hear about Chris Henry getting in trouble again? Apparently he punched some 18-year old in the face and threw a beer bottle through his car window. He turned himself into the police this morning.
I see what you're saying, but I don't get why that has to be a great play on their part. I mean, I feel like you only think that way because the rules when you started watching dictated that.. but if you had started watching with the forceout as a rule, you'd think "If the offensive player can get 2 feet down without his path being changed while in mid-air, then that's a great play on his part so he should have that chance."
Not sure I get your argument but the my biggest thing with the force-out rule is the "IF" portion. If the offensive player can get 2 feet down, then that is a touchdown, but if he catches the ball and is pushed out, then I don't see the point of a rule that says if he wasn't pushed out he would have gotten 2 feet down (that is obvious but the point IMO is that he didn't get 2 feet down and that's what counts).
Football is all about field position. Occupying a space is key. A receiver can usually get enough separation on a jump that the defender will be more concerned about making a play on the ball if he's that close. Gravity against motion determines if the receiver's momentum is enough to carry him out of bounds after coming down from his apex. Force applied by the defender in most cases will be to separate the receiver from the ball. If the defender hits high, near the ball... the receiver will have opportunity to land with his feet in bounds while maintaining control of the ball. The force-out rule did not come into play very often... maybe once every couple of games for this reason.
I don't like figure skating. It involves judgement. Pass interference has too much judgement already and benefit of the doubt is almost always given to the offensive player. When the offensive player holds the defender down in the corner of the endzone, the defender will have an excellent weapon besides for praying that the ref calls it. 2 feet down is quantitative and provides for more conflict without the forceout rule.
I don't really think so... If a RB is running towards the endzone and tries to dive over the line, is met in mid-air and pushed out of bounds never crossing the goal-line, he shouldn't be given a touchdown just because he would have crossed the goal-line if the defender hadn't touched him. The force-out is a rule that allows you to gain yardage for plays you would have made, but didn't. The only time you should be rewarded for not making plays in when there is a penalty.
