How will NFL officials sell new pass-interference rule to 49ers?
SANTA CLARA — Film review at 49ers training camp could spark tension tonight, especially among defensive backs and wide receivers.
NFL officials are in town for their annual visit to inform players and staff — and media — about new rules for the coming season. No change has drawn more attention and ensuing concern than coaches’ ability to dial up a replay challenge for a pass-interference penalty, whether it’s called or not, against the offense or defense.
Cornerback Richard Sherman arrived at training camp believing the new rule will cause another hurdle for defensive backs and another loophole coaches will exploit.
“I’ll leave it up to the coaches to figure out their strategy,” Sherman said. “But there is strategy in how you call for pass interference. It’s an interesting way to manipulate the game.”
It’s a rule that came about because of an official’s gaffe that cost the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Coach Kyle Shanahan briefly spoke before Thursday’s practice with the seven-person officiating crew, which will be in camp through the weekend.
NFL official Ed Camp, who met with reporters Thursday, said coaches he’s met with in visits this summer are guarded when it comes to risk losing a timeout in challenging a pass-interference call.
Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio, the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2011-14, indeed lost a timeout when he challenged a defensive pass interference in the Broncos’ win Thursday night over the Atlanta Falcons in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game.
Officials won’t change how they call such infractions, Camp insisted, and Sherman said he won’t change his approach; Sherman drew only one pass-interference penalty last season.
“As a DB, if you think about the 11 million penalties that they can call on you and how they dissect it, then you just wouldn’t play in this league,” Sherman said. “So you just go out there and try to do your job to the best of your ability and let the chips fall where they may.
“That was (just) the league trying to cover themselves for what happened in the playoffs.”
The rule is on a one-year tryout, and chaos is expected from players and league observers, including Mike Pereira, the NFL’s former supervisor of officials and now a Fox Sports analyst.
Pereira tweeted Thursday night during the NFL’s exhibition opener, the Pro Football Hall of Fame game, that the “wacky world of pass interference and replay” is underway, and he hopes only one such replay challenge will occur per game.
Former NFL coach Tony Dungy, a NBC analyst, opposed the rule change and considered it an overreaction to the Saints-Rams gaffe. Dungy said on NBC’s broadcast Thursday night: “Now as a coach you have to decide, “Whose judgment do I trust? Do I trust mine? Do I trust the officials? I think it’s going to be a can of worms for the coaches.”
Welcome to the wacky world of pass interference and replay. If the decision by replay creates a second foul, the offense would likely decline the holding and accept the Interference call depending on the location of the DPI call. Football is back and so am I. Sorry everyone.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) August 2, 2019
My prediction as to how many times a game will get stopped for a challenge or review of pass interference once we get to the regular season?? Less than one per game, I hope.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) August 2, 2019
In Shanahan’s two seasons as coach, the 49ers have drawn 13 defensive-pass-interference penalties each year; their offensive-pass-interference calls decreased from eight to three. Probably the most contentious penalty came in 2017, when Trent Taylor’s got penalized to hinder a 49ers comeback attempt against the Rams.
As 49ers players settle into the Levi’s Stadium auditorium to watch the 10-minute, officiating video, they will learn this season’s “two points of emphasis” are: 1. Holding on the backside of a run, and, 2.) The use of a helmet is a foul if a player lowers his head to make contact with an opponent.
Also, anyone other than players in uniform entering the field to celebrate will draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Players can be disqualified for “non-football acts” such as those inteded to injure opponents. Also, when penalties occur on touchdown plays, fouls can be enforced on the succeeding kickoff or on the point-after try.