WE NEED TO END THIS INCONSISTENCY & SHOW EVERY LEAGUE THAT INCONSISTENCY IS NOT A WAY TO GO.
 EVERY YEAR DURING PLAYOFFS, NFL REFS LOVES TO CHEAT, GO AGAINST TEAMS LIKE THE SAINTS, ETC. WE NEED TO END THIS INCONSISTENCY!! 

 

Inconsistent play calls in the NFL can undermine fan trust in the league and the fairness of the competition. Fans expect the NFL and its officials to be transparent, accountable, and committed to fair play.

Here are some ways the NFL addresses inconsistent play calls:
 

Replay officials

Confirm all plays that result in a score or turnover, and stop the game for review on plays that start after the two-minute warning in each half and overtime.

Art McNally GameDay Central

Handles coaches' challenges and situations that fall under the NFL's Replay Assist rule.

Commissioner
Has the authority to overturn a game result, order a replay, or discard the results of the game from the unfair act onward.. HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE NFL.

CHARLES ROBINSON: The way the question was asked to Goodell, it was very open-ended. It was sort of ambiguous. It was not laser-focused on exactly what Reid had said, allowed Goodell to basically just come out and go, well, what's the problem? It was-- like, I'm paraphrasing, but he's like, what's the problem? It was the right call. They made the right call, and if they had made the wrong call there, they would have gotten criticized for that. So basically it's just Goodell doing his typical song and dance, "our officiating is great."

Are pass interference calls inconsistent in the NFL? 

Yes, but so are all judgment calls. That is an inevitable part of the game.

But I’ll tell you something - they are not nearly so inconsistent as offensive holding calls. People don’t remark on it nearly as much, but if you watch the games closely, it is amazing how often really obvious holds - players out in space and the defender getting tugged back - don’t get called.

I appreciate we live in an era of offensive football, and so there is less emphasis on trying to help defenders out. But if feels to me that it should be easier for the refs to get more consistency on holding calls than they do. I accept that pass interference call, given the speed of the game, are always going to be difficult.

Should the NFL have a cap on penalty yardage for pass interference?

Sort of.

The problem is that pass interference covers a huge range of defensive behavior from tackling a receiver when the ball in in the air to prevent a sure touchdown, to pretty trivial contact made as much by the receiver as the defender on a ball that would likely not have been caught anyway.

For the former, even giving a first down at the spot of the foul is not enough to compensate for the violation. For the latter, even a five-yard penalty from the previous spot is excessive. And there are intermediate cases of feet or hands getting tangled up and it’s unclear which player started it and whether it was intentional on either side or not.

The result is that game results are heavily influenced by very close judgment calls.

One solution would be to split the penalty. Flagrant pass interference would be clearly intentional grabbing, pushing or blocking a receiver that prevented a likely reception. That could be put the ball at the spot of the foul with an automatic first down. It could even count as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty so a second violation would lead to an ejection; and it could award a touchdown if done in the end zone.

Normal pass interference would cover possibly accidental minor interference or balls that were probably not going to be caught anyway. That could be a lesser of 15 yards or spot of the foul penalty, with a first down.

Cases of mutual contact could be a five-yard penalty on the team of the player who started it or did the most, with no call if it were roughly even. No first down unless earned.

Uncatchable balls and trivial contact would remain no penalty.

Another point is the “playing the ball” should be modified. Currently it seems to be interpreted as facing the quarterback. Lots of defenders turn their head around for show, so they can belt the receiver before the ball arrives. Other defenders are trying legitimately to knock the ball down or intercept it, but guessing from the receiver’s eyes and actions where the ball is rather than looking for it directly.