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deadspin.com/nfl-penalties-are-getting-out-of-hand-1624362988

There's been a lot of talk and writing about the NFL's new emphasis on its officials calling a tighter game, especially their cracking down on passing defense. But we're through two full weeks of preseason games now, long enough to discard anecdotal evidence for hard numbers. And those numbers are stunning:

Total penalties are up 43.7 percent from last year through the first two weeks of preseason games, according to the league's figures. There have been 756 penalties so far this preseason, compared to 526 last year through two weeks of preseason games.

Of the 230 additional penalties this year, 134 of them have been attributable to increases in illegal contact and defensive holding calls. There have been 55 illegal contact penalties this preseason, up from eight through two preseason games last year. There have been 107 defensive holding penalties, compared to 20 at this point in the 2013 preseason.

Illegal contact and defensive holding flags are up a whopping 478 percent over last year. That's no fluke of sample size.

It was these two penalties that the NFL Competition Committee specifically sought to emphasize at its meetings this spring, citing an epidemic of grabbing and pushing between receivers and DBs beyond the five-yard contact zone. And that is a legitimate problem—sometimes it appears that no one, not even the players or officials, knows what constitutes a penalty anymore.

But the NFL's Gordian-Knot solution was typically absolute. Since no one could agree on how much contact should be allowed, the league decided that no contact would be allowed. Hence the seven or so extra penalties per game so far on plays that last year wouldn't have been flagged.

Because this falls disproportionately on defense, expect it to push a game that has reached unprecedented levels of scoring even more toward the realm of arena football. The NFL has set new records in passing yards per game in four straight seasons now, and if you take bumping and grabbing out of the DBs' arsenals, it's going to mean even more fireworks.

The Boston Globe's Christopher L. Gasper believes this rule change, along with others in recent years that encourage racking up offensive stats, is a conscious effort on the part of the NFL to chase the popularity of fantasy football. I don't know that it's as direct as that, but the NFL clearly believes fans are here to see offense. Are they right? Will there come a point where teams are scoring too much and too easily? Like as easy as it is to score on nodaks mom? Have we reached that point already?

All super-important questions about what the sport should be, but there's a more immediate one. Will officials keep calling so many defensive penalties once the regular season starts? The NFL's head of officiating says: absolutely.

"We're not going to change how we're calling the games once the regular season starts,'' Dean Blandino told The MMQB. "The way the game's being officiated now is the way it's going to be officiated when the season begins. We have to remain consistent."

That's tough talk that sounds definitive, but we'll see how it stands up to a national outcry the first time a game is decided by a (perceived) bullshit defensive holding call in the end zone.

The reality probably won't be so dramatic as all this. Blandino says that "once you see the players adjust, you won't see this exorbitant number of calls." And the officials, too, are testing the waters. Once the season begins, expect everyone to find a middle ground. That middle ground, though, will still be one of more flags, more yards in the air, more points, and longer games. (An average of five minutes longer so far.) Football is changing, and you'll see the results on the scoreboard.
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Ant Farm KeyboardBarry Petchesky
Today 10:27am

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If there are going to be even more pass interference calls please change the rule to the college system- 15 yards no matter where it was on the field. We don't need anymore 55 yard penalties because Victor Cruz was sneezed on.
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Today 10:28am

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No rules were changed regarding defensive contact in the offseason, just that referees are being told to actually call penalties on rules that are already in place. The Richard Sherman's of the world are going to be screwed for approximately one season until the emphasis goes away next year, just like it did the last time anybody gave a crap about defensive holding.
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Sheik

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It's really turning into a terrible game.

I would love to see the NFL go down, and have his fingerprints all over the evidence. It won't happen because every other sport is shitty.
 

Sheik

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I remember a time where your team would score a TD, or make a big play, you would just celebrate or whatever. Now, you have to wait 10 seconds just to make sure some fat white guy isn't digging around for his yellow flag.

Games are being won and lost by officials now more than ever. And you can almost tell that they get off on being the focal point in games. " Hey, look at me, I can make things happen!!"
 

cmd34(work)

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I keep hoping defense will make a comeback. I know it will never be the 1970's Raiders and Steelers murdering people, but I hope the league realizes too much offense actually hurts the game.
 

JBond

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I keep hoping defense will make a comeback. I know it will never be the 1970's Raiders and Steelers murdering people, but I hope the league realizes too much offense actually hurts the game.

I'm with you, but it will never happen. `
 

cmd34(work)

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That's why I enjoyed the Seahawks so much last year, as well as two physical teams in the Super Bowl the year before.
 

JBond

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That's why I enjoyed the Seahawks so much last year, as well as two physical teams in the Super Bowl the year before.

Yep. 100% Agree, but apparently we are in the minority. I miss epic defensive teams. Two of my favorite non-Cowboys games where when the Giants defense knocked the crap of the 49'ers in a couple of playoff games back in the day. No one gave them a shot in either game.
 

Doomsday

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And it's self defeating really, because there will be a point of diminishing returns and feeding the crackhead gets less and less possible. They then get bored, and go away.
 
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I Like their grow the game ideas.
But I don't like the game itsself if touchdowns aren't that special.


soccer is aight but we don't really like it bc not a lot of what were watching matters. In football every play could be the biggest play of your season.....unless manning has 13 seconds left and 1 timeout . And you're like well that was fucking stupid it seems like anyone can score if they really have to
 

dbair1967

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I keep hoping defense will make a comeback. I know it will never be the 1970's Raiders and Steelers murdering people, but I hope the league realizes too much offense actually hurts the game.

Yes keep hoping for that. Along with Leprechauns, Easter Bunny and The Claus
 
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As long as its enforced evenly. There is alot of holding and illegal contact going on that never gets called. Sherman is a great corner but he does hold alot. I dont think it should be an automatic first down. Thats what makes it a big penalty.

Anyways, one of the reasons i am starting to like college football, not so many flags.
 

dbair1967

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I dont think it should be an automatic first down. Thats what makes it a bulltshit penalty.

.

Yeah nothing more irritating than the 3rd and 18 freebie of illegal contact or defensive holding, automatic first down...and many times it happens way away from where the ball goes.

If they want to give them the five yards and the down over, ok. But I've never agreed with the penalty being an automatic first down. PI being an automatic FD is fine, but not these other b/s penalties.
 

Iamtdg

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Yeah nothing more irritating than the 3rd and 18 freebie of illegal contact or defensive holding, automatic first down...and many times it happens way away from where the ball goes.

If they want to give them the five yards and the down over, ok. But I've never agreed with the penalty being an automatic first down. PI being an automatic FD is fine, but not these other b/s penalties.

I like the college rules. Penalize the distance and never an automatic first down unless the yardage dictates it.
 
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It's really turning into a terrible game.

I would love to see the NFL go down, and have his fingerprints all over the evidence. It won't happen because every other sport is shitty.

Yeah, I've been discouraged about the pro game for a while now .... it is turning into pinball football. It's basketball in cleats.

I did enjoy watching last year's playoff games. It seemed to me that the refs allowed for more physical play and that the product was much better as a result. I had hoped the NFL would allow that style of football to continue, but ....

Given the huge issue with concussions and other injuries, there are many forms of physical contact that must be disallowed now (e.g., helmet on helmet, etc.), but I can't think of a good health-related reason why defensive backs and wide receivers should not be allowed to fight/wrestle for position. This is one facet of the game that can be physical without risking much in the way physical harm.
 

Hoofbite

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Increasing passing will benefit the top 3 or 4 QBs more than others and widen the scoring gap, basically deciding the season at draft time.

Helping FF would be by dropping the passing game a bit. You up defensive scoring (mid to late round picks), force more FGs (late round picks), and shift the goal-to-go passing scores back to RBs.

That would make leagues more competitive. Having 50 point QB weeks by only a few guys is bullshit. I lost to A-Rod in 2011 and 2012 when he scores 50 each time.
 

Doomsday

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They want all the games to be like the Dallas/Denver one last year. They think that's football.
 
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