the passing game

THE PASSING GAME

DPI/OPI

WHAT IS PASS INTERFERENCE?

• It is pass interference by either team when any player movement beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders the progress of an eligible player to catch or move toward the ball. Offensive pass interference rules apply from the time the ball is snapped until the ball is touched. Defensive pass interference rules apply from the time the forward pass is thrown until the ball is touched.

PASS INTERFERENCE• There are two indicators that make a player “suspect” for Pass

Interference

• Bite- when a defender “bites” on a move and then has to try to recover, ie: when a receiver does a hook ‘n’ go- if the defender bites on the hook, he will frequently try to recover by grabbing the receiver as he goes by. This will probably constitute defensive holding and can turn into DPI if a pass is subsequently thrown.

• Chase- when a player is chasing an opponent, either by design or because he is beaten, he may tend to commit PI.

KEY POINTS TO CALLING INTERFERENCE

• OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYERS HAVE EQUAL RIGHT TO THE BALL

• OBVIOUS INTENT TO IMPEDE• ADVANTAGE/DISADVANTAGE• RESTRICTION- DEFENSE• SEPARATION- OFFENSE (OFFENSE HAS THE

RESPONSIBILITY TO AVOID CONTACT)

KEY POINTS TO CALLING INTERFERENCE

• The pass must be thrown in the vicinity for defensive pass interference to be called.

• If the contact is away from the vicinity of the pass, it may be holding or a personal foul but can not be defensive pass interference.

• Offensive pass interference is not held to this same restriction.

• Defensive contact is allowed on an eligible receiver until the receiver is no longer a potential blocker (receiver on the same yard line as the defender).

There are seven categories of Pass Interference

• 1) Arm Bar• 2) Hook and Twist• 3) Not Playing the Ball• 4) Hold• 5) Playing Through The Back• 6) Cutoff• 7) Face guarding

ARM BAR

• Arm Bar- an arm across the body restricting the opponent from moving where he wants to go and, keeping him from raising his arms to make the catch. An arm across the body is not enough- there must be a restriction of movement

HOOK AND TWIST

• Hook and Twist- hooking the arm around the waist or shoulders, AND twisting the opponent, restricting him from his effort to catch the pass. An arm around the body is not enough- there must be a twist or turn. The offender is usually reaching around the receiver’s body attempting to knock the ball away with his other hand. Watch the outside shoulder of the restricted player, if it moves away from the ball, chances are good that you have a foul.

NOT PLAYING THE BALL

• Not playing the ball- the player is not making a bona fide effort to reach the pass (usually not looking back for the ball) and contacts the opponent (usually body to body) restricting the opponent from moving where he wants to go, or knocking the opponent off his path to the ball.

HOLD

• Hold- actually grasping an opponent, particularly the arm, restricting him from being able to reach a pass. Classically, grabbing an arm, keeping the opponent from raising it to catch the pass.

PLAYING THROUGH THE BACK

• Playing through the back- even if making an effort to touch the pass, contacting an opponent through the back, restricting his ability to catch the pass.

CUTOFF

• Cutoff- even if looking back for the ball, a player cannot position himself and contact an opponent to restrict or prevent him from moving toward a pass. This resembles blocking out an opponent in basketball.

FACEGUARDING

• An opponent can not purposely block an opponents vision by waving his hand(s) in front of their eyes. Face guarding is a deliberate action, by an opponent, to block the vision without playing the ball. Contact is not necessary for a foul to be called. Raising the arms in an attempt to play the ball is not a foul for faceguarding.

OFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE

• Blocking downfield prior to the ball being touched.• Initiating contact and creating

separation.• Driving through the defender who

has position of field.


• Contact and separation is the key. The offense must avoid contact.

• 1) Pick• A) Did he seek him out?• B) Does he initiate contact? See the entire

play.• C) Is he ready to receive a pass? If not-suspect


• Pick• A) Usually occurs near the goal line.• B) Usually occurs where there is a twin set of

receivers-1st receiver to leave the line of scrimmage sets the pick for the 2nd receiver.

• C) Must determine that the action is a deliberate attempt to pick

• D) Must have contact


• Downfield Block• A) Did the receiver seek out a defender

who has established position and initiate contact?

• B) Contact causing separation – especially if he is the intended receiver


• PUSH OFF• Receiver’s arms extended• Causes separation- OBVIOUS change in

defender’s momentum (shoulder turn, bend backwards, change in direction.)


• IS:• A) contact by a Team A

player beyond the neutral zone, prior to the ball being touched.

• B) During a legal forward pass beyond the neutral zone.

• C) Contact must interfere with a Team B player

• IS NOT:• A) Incidental contact when

players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to catch or bat the ball. BOTH PLAYERS HAVE AN EQUAL RIGHT TO THE BALL.

• B) Inadvertent tangling of feet when both players are playing the ball OR neither player is playing the ball.

PASS INTERFERENCE NOTES• Note 1: If there is any question whether player contact is

incidental, rule no interference• Note 2: Defensive players have as much right to the path of the

ball as eligible offensive players.• Note 3: The foul for defensive pass interference must be in the

vicinity of the pass.• Note 4: Pass interference for all eligible players end when the pass

is touched. Pass interference ends for ineligibles when the defense touches the pass.

• Note 5: There can be no pass interference at or behind the LOS or if the pass does not cross the neutral zone. Defensive actions such as tackling a receiver can still result in a foul for defensive holding.

WHAT GETS OFFICIALS INTO TROUBLE WITH PASS INTERFERENCE

• A) Officials are not in proper position– Too close to action– Looking through players instead of between players

• B) Officials are watching the ball and not the playersOfficials must stay downstairs, the ball will come to the ground

Watching the receiver & his reactions may be better than watching the DB, to see if he is doing anything illegal

• C) Officials are not watching their keysWatching the play instead of their receiverWatching the wrong receiver

WHAT GETS OFFICIALS INTO TROUBLE WITH PASS INTERFERENCE

• D) Officials are to quick to throw the flagOfficials anticipate the outcome & are too excited & think rather than know something happened

Officials don’t realize the athletic ability of today’s athletes

• E) Concentration/Comfort ZoneSome of the biggest factors- taking a play off, distraction, thinking about a previous play, fatigue

the passing game

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