Pass interference and defensive holding penalties are the most controversial, most inconsistent and potentially most damaging of all the rule infractions. Referees must decide in a split second whether the hand the defender placed on the receiver was to help keep track of him, or whether it impeded the progress of the receiver. Did the defender make contact with the receiver before the ball arrived, or did they arrive simultaneously? Was the receiver shoving the defender's hand away before making the catch, or was he pushing off to gain space? If the referee calls pass interference, that decision could end up being the biggest play of the game. That's because the ball is advanced to the spot of the foul on pass interference calls, which could be far down the field, rather than the traditional 15-yard major penalty.
During the 2002 season, 234 defensive pass interference penalties gained 3,698 yards, or 15.8 yards per penalty. Ninetly-nine went for yardage greater than 15 yards, 45 went for 25 or more yards, and 23 were declined due to the catch being made anyway (which must have been even more humiliating for the defender). In addition, 124 defensive holding penalties were called on defensive backs for 429 more penalty yards.
Romancing the Yellow Hanky
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
