Rulebooks arrived in mail yesterday....

[InsideTheStripes]

No argument from me in the slightest.

You and me both.  The OPI penalty needed to be addressed, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater. I'm irrationally angry about this change.

[Atlanta Blue]

You and me both.  The OPI penalty needed to be addressed, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater. I'm irrationally angry about this change.

While I think the removal of an automatic first down was foolish, I also think the commotion is much ado about nothing.

We threw 244 passes last year, our opponents threw 211.  Out of those 455 pass attempts, there was one DPI call all year, and the 15 yards gave us a first down anyway.  In the past 14 years of coaching, I can remember ONE DPI call that gave us a first down that we wouldn't have had with the yardage foul alone.

Philosophically, I agree, it was a dumb rule change.  But in reality, it's a near non-issue.

[Rulesman]

While I think the removal of an automatic first down was foolish, I also think the commotion is much ado about nothing...
Philosophically, I agree, it was a dumb rule change.  But in reality, it's a near non-issue.

I believe the jury will be out until season begins. Past performance is no indication of future results.

[maven]

Philosophically, I agree, it was a dumb rule change.  But in reality, it's a near non-issue.

Although I agree that the auto 1st down makes a difference in few infractions, I don't regard that as a good reason to screw up the rule.

The argument that DPI needed changing to "balance" the change to OPI is patently absurd on its face. Had I been in the room when somebody floated it, I would have struggled not to laugh in his face.

[Atlanta Blue]

Although I agree that the auto 1st down makes a difference in few infractions, I don't regard that as a good reason to screw up the rule.

The argument that DPI needed changing to "balance" the change to OPI is patently absurd on its face. Had I been in the room when somebody floated it, I would have struggled not to laugh in his face.

Laugh all you want, that was the view held by at least a third of the committee, who have held up the LOD change in the OPI rule for years.  The only way to get some of them into the fold was to eliminate the automatic first down on DPI.

But I feel the LOD on OPI was so atrocious, that if the only way to get rid of it was this, then I'll take it.

[maven]

But I feel the LOD on OPI was so atrocious, that if the only way to get rid of it was this, then I'll take it.

I'll agree with that, too. Lesser of two evils (though it's close).

[bama_stripes]

In the past 14 years of coaching, I can remember ONE DPI call that gave us a first down that we wouldn't have had with the yardage foul alone.

I believe the change will be more pronounced in goal-to-go situations.  Savvy defensive coaches will instruct their DBs to interfere if they're beaten, knowing that the offense won't get a new series.

Ralph Damren posted in another thread that there's a lot of concern about the balance between offense & defense, and this appears to be one result of that concern.

[Rulesman]

I believe the change will be more pronounced in goal-to-go situations.  Savvy defensive coaches will instruct their DBs to interfere if they're beaten, knowing that the offense won't get a new series.

I have been saying for months it will be open season on receivers.

[maven]

Nobody seems as concerned that we will see more OPI as well: planned pick plays, etc.

[mardunn]

At summer scrimmages, we were talking about this and I think our association may think about using the "additional 15 yards" provision more frequently for flagrantly intentional OPI or DPI.

This won't help in goal-line situations, but the first time someone gets a 30 yard penalty for PI around midfield, maybe it will help a little.

[prab]

The "additional 15 yards" for intentional DPI has been in the rules for a long time.  However, I have never seen it used.  Has anyone actually used this provision?  If so, what were the circumstances?  Did the coach being hit with a '30 yarder' even know that there was such a rule?

[bama_stripes]

Nobody seems as concerned that we will see more OPI as well: planned pick plays, etc.

That's because (in HS football) the 15-yard penalty is usually a "drive-killer" anyway.  You *might* see it if A chooses to pass from inside their red zone, where we can't penalize the full 15.

[mardunn]

The "additional 15 yards" for intentional DPI has been in the rules for a long time.  However, I have never seen it used.  Has anyone actually used this provision?  If so, what were the circumstances?  Did the coach being hit with a '30 yarder' even know that there was such a rule?

Yeah, I've personally never seen (or heard) it being used.  It was just batted around as a possibility this year since we're much more likely to see flagrantly "intentional" PI this year.

[Atlanta Blue]

Yeah, I've personally never seen (or heard) it being used.  It was just batted around as a possibility this year since we're much more likely to see flagrantly "intentional" PI this year.

Don't go there.  Let this sort itself out.  Other than goal to go situations, it's really not going to be an issue.  No one is going to teach players to intentionally interfere anymore than they used to, which was basically reserved for "obviously beat" situations.

Goal to go situations may be the exception, but an "intentional interference" call there is a non-issue anyway.  You still can't penalize 30 yards.

[VALJ]

While I agree that I'm hesitant to invoke the 30-yard nuclear bomb, I think it's more likely to see... shall we say, "obvious"... PI than just goal line.  3rd & 20, and Bubba gets beat at the line of scrimmage by Skippy.  Last year, at the very least, A gets a first down in that situation.  15 yards and a replay of 3rd down is a lot more attractive to a defensive coach than the kid getting burned for a long first down or a TD. 

[HLinNC]

The coaches that get screwed on offense this season will lobby long and hard for their rep to vote to re-instate the AFD on DPI and thus balance will be returned to The Force.  Then we can all talk about how this was the conspiracy all along to rid OPI of the LOD.